See You Later, Alligator
by Sally Hopgood (Author) Emma Levey (Illustrator)
A silly story with bright, engaging illustrations and expressive, rhyming text that children will want to read--and giggle through--again and again.
A departing tortoise has his bags packed and is almost ready to set out on an adventure, but he can't leave until he says good-bye to each of his animal friends. The tortoise stops for every last timid mouse and bumblebee, shouting his rhyming good-byes, making you wonder if, perhaps, he's stalling the start of his trip. His animal friends appear startled as he suddenly pops up on each page to say adieu--especially the perplexed rhinoceros the tortoise mistakes for a unicorn! With each farewell, the tortoise's good-byes get sillier and more creative. When will the good-byes end and the adventure begin?
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School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-Tortoise is ready to go on an adventure, and courtesy of an illustrated map before the title page, readers understand that this story likely takes place in a zoo or animal sanctuary of some kind. He bids his friends farewell, beginning with, "See you later, Alligator. I'll be a while, Crocodile." He continues with, "Toodle-oo, Kangaroo. I'll call you soon, Mr. Raccoon." And many more. In fact, Tortoise spends so long saying good-bye that he never makes it on his adventure. While the concept is cute and the end joke is spot-on, this book suffers from a dissatisfying rhyme scheme that is trying too hard. By the fifth good-bye, the rhymes seem completely forced, and nicknames begin to take precedence over the actual species names. In the end, Levey's illustrations are the real highlight. Children will likely stick through the story and enjoy pointing out various elements (like how the Rhinoceros is called a Unicorn), but it's not worth the read-aloud struggle. VERDICT The delightful illustrations are not enough to make this a must-purchase.-Shana Morales, Windsor Public Library, CT
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
JUV057000 - Juvenile Fiction | Stories in Verse (see also Poetry)
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
Animals
Zoo animals
Zoos
Adventure and adventurers
Stories in rhyme
Voyages and travels
Turtles
Farewells
