“HOORAY FOR AMANDA & HER ALLIGATOR!” by Mo Willems, Balzer + Bray, April 26, 2011, $17.99 (ages 4-8)
Lots of surprising things happen when you have a stuffed alligator as a best friend.
Amanda and Alligator are always looking for ways to surprise each other. Sometimes it’s by sharing books, other times it’s by eating them.
There are also times when a thinking cap is required — coming up with surprises is sometimes very hard work.
Surprises are usually fun, but one day Amanda comes home with not-so-welcome surprise, and it might have an outcome even Alligator couldn’t have predicted.
Written as 6 ½ short stories, “Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator” is a picture/chapter book hybrid. And at 71 pages, it’s quite a bit longer than a “traditional” picture book.
Though unconventional, the chapters and longer length really work in this case. The text is still simple enough for beginners and the illustrations are bright and engaging.
At the heart of “Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator” is a tale of friendship that children will immediately understand and embrace, making it a nice addition to any child’s library.
