Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! [Hardcover]

Mo Willems (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: April 26, 2011 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 360L (What's this?)

6½ stories about 2 surprising friends.

Having a stuffed alligator for a best friend can be surprising.

Sometimes Amanda surprises her alligator with books. Sometimes Alligator surprises Amanda by eating them.

But what happens when Amanda brings home a special—and not entirely welcome—surprise? The result might be unexpected indeed.

Beloved author-illustrator Mo Willems has created a funny and tender portrait of friendship that readers of any age will love.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Amusing and heartwarming, it will leave Willems’s fans totally satisfied.” (School Library Journal (starred review) )

“Six and a half short stories make up this expertly paced page-turner about a girl and her toy alligator, laced with the kid-centric humor on which Willems has built his career. ” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

“The pacing, word volume and wide trim size are all inviting and encouraging, bringing readers close to the cozy friendship between Amanda and her impatient stuffed friend. ” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )

“Willems knows how to keep things interesting and his audience engaged.” (Horn Book (starred review) )

“Willems may not have the market cornered on best friends, but few do them better.” (ALA Booklist )

“This is a perfect stealth early reader, a story that will begin as a chapter-by-chapter readaloud and then get converted by the audience when experience and determination make it time to fly solo. ” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books )

About the Author

Mo Willems knows a Good Idea when he sees one. A three-time Caldecott Honor winner (for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny, and Knuffle Bunny Too), he also won two Geisel Medals and two Geisel Honors for his Elephant and Piggie books. His books are perennial New York Times bestsellers, including Knuffle Bunny Free, Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator!, and the Cat the Cat series. Before he turned to making picture books, Mo was a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he won six Emmys. Mo lives with his family in Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray; First Edition edition (April 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006200400X
• ISBN-13: 978-0062004000
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 10.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 17.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Alligators & Crocodiles

More About the Author

A three-time Caldecott Honor winner for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity, Mo Willems has also won two Geisel Medals for There is a Bird on Your Head! and Are You Ready to Play Outside? And his books are perennial New York Times bestsellers. Before he turned to children's books, Mo was a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he won six Emmy Awards. Mo lives with his family in Massachusetts.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Subtle humor for warm laughs July 7, 2011

By Kansas Mom

Format:Hardcover

Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator is another of Willems' hits. When I first read it on my own, I thought it was just all right. But when I read it with my 3-year-old, I could see the subtly of the humor. The names of Amanda's library books are a riot. And the page when she's reading 'You can make it yourself: Jet Packs'... well, alligator is downright hilarious. My daughter laughed until she hiccuped as we reread that page over and over. She now walks around the house saying that page from memory when she's bored.

This is a simple, delightful book. Two thumbs up.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute story but not his best... April 27, 2011

By txteacher

Format:Hardcover

I'm a kindergarten teacher that fell in love with Mo Willems books this year, along with my class. We really like the pigeon series, we enjoyed Edwina, but we love Elephant & Piggie. I have so many Mo Willems books in my classroom library and those are the first books my students go for.. they love to read them over and over. And I do too, they are really cute and funny.

That's why I was excited to read Mo Willem's latest book, Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator. But, for my students and I, the book fell a bit flat. The first 3 (and a half) chapters weren't really all that funny and the kids looked at me like, "um, okay?". Towards the end the book got a bit cuter and funnier and I will say that some of my students said they liked it, but most of them agreed that they liked the Elephant & Piggie books better.

All and all I'll say: Mo Willems does a great job writing a book about friendship between Amanda and her stuffed alligator, but it seems to fall in with the Cat the Cat series of books in terms of humor and enjoyment, rather than being up there with his other books. Worth reading but I don't see this being a book that we reread.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Mo's best work, but still great May 2, 2011

By E. Kennen

Format:Hardcover

HOORAY FOR AMANDA & HER ALLIGATOR! features 6.5 related vignettes about a young girl and her anthropomorphic stuffed animal. In his light, breezy style, Mo Willems touches on many everyday topics: boredom, surprises, disappointment, creativity, jealousy, and making friends.

My daughter and I love, love, love Mo Willems... and I sadly admit to being disappointed when I started reading this book. It was cute, but I was expecting brilliance. Things picked up during the second half of the book, though, and we had some laugh-out-loud moments (guess what alligators do when they're bored!) And, of course, everything was illustrated in Willem's deceptively simple and completely engaging style.

My assessment changed a bit the second time I read it (probably because my expectations changed quite a bit): While it's not Willem's crowning achievement, this IS funny, sweet, goofy, and endearing enough that I hope it is the first of many books about Amanda and her alligator.