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374th out of 2,287 books
—
3,583 voters
There's an Alligator under My Bed
by
Mercer Mayer
The There's a Nightmare In My Closet, bringing back that story's imaginative young hero for an even funnier nighttime adventure. Full-color illustrations.
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
March 30th 1987
by Dial
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I like Mercer Mayer's stories and this has a catchy title, so we checked it out at the library. I think it actually scared our 6 year old, but I was able to convince her that there are no alligators in Hawaii, so it wasn't overly traumatic. Not sure if this is the best story to read to younger children!
Dec 16, 2011
Caitlin W.
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
animals,
family,
grade-1,
grade-2,
kindergarten,
imagination,
picture-book,
si-624,
storytime,
video,
alligators,
problem-solving
You can see the author/illustrator reading his book, with pans of the illustrations, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNE8p0...
This is a twist on the monster-under-the-bed scenario-- a young boy is convinced that there is an alligator living under his bed, but when his parents look, the alligator hides somewhere so they don't believe him. He comes up with a plan to lure the alligator out from under his bed: he places a trail of various kinds of food from his room down to the garage, and when...more
This is a twist on the monster-under-the-bed scenario-- a young boy is convinced that there is an alligator living under his bed, but when his parents look, the alligator hides somewhere so they don't believe him. He comes up with a plan to lure the alligator out from under his bed: he places a trail of various kinds of food from his room down to the garage, and when...more
I honestly think I liked this book most for its insight into a child’s mind. Children’s minds truly work this way, they do these things and they believe that there is a monster of some kind under their bed. I liked however, that there was a surprise. There was an alligator under the child’s bed, at least according to him. As an adult aged reader, that was a surprise to me, but to a child reader I bet this was no surprise at all, of course the alligator came out to get food! Obviously, due to the...more
There are books from your childhood that are indelibly burned into your imagination... and Mercer Mayer's There's an Alligator Under My Bed is one of those books for me. The story of a boy planning to lure out the alligator from under his bed is coupled with illustrations that I can recall with near perfect clarity. Perhaps it's because I never found the generic "monsters" genre to be all that scary, I appreciated Mayer's alligator substitution. In addition, Mayer provided a practical plan for a...more
Jan 13, 2009
Mary
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who has an alligator in their bedrooms
I should give this book a 5 for my grandchildren; it has been their most requested book at the turning 3 stage, though I certainly don't find it as enthralling as they obviously do. It bothers me some that they don't understand that there really ISN'T an alligator under the bed! They show me, "there he is!" but he seems like a fairly decent kind of guy and nothing bad happens, so I'm guessing they are using this book to approach the usual childhood fears of the dark and of what's under the bed....more
This cute picture book is a story about an alligator who lives under a young boy’s bed. However in this story, the young boy is the only one who can see him. He tries to tell his parents but they don’t believe him. After his parents fall asleep, the boy “lures” the alligator out from under his bed with snacks and a trail of food that he think it may like all the way to the garage. As planned, the alligator eats the trail of food and ends up in the garage where the boy locks the door. Then the bo...more
It is a story about a boy that believes that there is a alligator under his bed his mom and dad checks under the bed but they dont see it. So the boy put all kinds of food on the floor leading to the garage and the alligator eats it and follow the trail to the garage. I dont think the story helps with children who has nightmares or that thinks that there is a monster under their bed.. it will just show them that their worst fear is true...
Extension- talk about ways that they can cope in a scary...more
Extension- talk about ways that they can cope in a scary...more
So darn cute! I loved this story, the sweet and humorous illustrations, and the resourceful kid who solved the problem of that pesky alligator under his bed--all by himself! It's just darling.
Of course, I'm a grown-up and no alligator has lived under my bed for quite some time so this book did not scare me at all and I think it's a good one for helping to overcome scary nighttime imaginings :-) But, some children may be frightened by it, see this fine review for example:
http://www.goodreads.com/...more
Of course, I'm a grown-up and no alligator has lived under my bed for quite some time so this book did not scare me at all and I think it's a good one for helping to overcome scary nighttime imaginings :-) But, some children may be frightened by it, see this fine review for example:
http://www.goodreads.com/...more
5 likes · like · see review
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I absolutely love his book! I remember my grandpa reading it to me when I was little so I revisited it now that I have own baby and still love it just as much!!! It's cute and original in the ideas and actions of a little boy as his tries to resolve a crisis - an alligator under his bed. Of course his parents don't believe him so he must take matters into his own hands. His decisions are so innocent, child-like and believable! You'll have to read it to see for yourself.
Best for kids ages 2 and up.
Early Literacy Skills: Print Motivation, Vocabulary, Narrative Skills
Fron cover:
There's am alligator under the bed. Mom and Dad don't know, they never saw him, but he;s there. Does he want to eat you? Maybe he's prefer something else instead. Maybe a peanut butter sandwich and some pie will lire him out ...
Great illustrations move this story about a crafty and industrious boy who will take care of the alligator under the bed. Short text with descriptive illustrations...more
Early Literacy Skills: Print Motivation, Vocabulary, Narrative Skills
Fron cover:
There's am alligator under the bed. Mom and Dad don't know, they never saw him, but he;s there. Does he want to eat you? Maybe he's prefer something else instead. Maybe a peanut butter sandwich and some pie will lire him out ...
Great illustrations move this story about a crafty and industrious boy who will take care of the alligator under the bed. Short text with descriptive illustrations...more
Sequel to There's a Nightmare in My Closet. The illustrations in this one are so much nicer than the original. Much more bright and bold. A cute story about a boy who believes there to be an alligator under his bed that only he knows about. For some reason, even when his parents check, they always miss it. The boy is able to lure the gator out and into the garage, where he worries it might be a problem for his dad in the morning.
Feb 10, 2012
Victoria Dimmitt
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
alligator,
animals,
children,
coming-of-age,
facing-your-fear,
family,
fiction,
humor,
library,
picture-book
I grew up listening to this story and it still remains one of my favorites. I find myself reading it to students in the classroom and it still is a crowd pleaser. It's a about a young boy who is sure that there is an alligator living under his bed. He conducts all of these ideas to face his fear and get rid of it, until he finally locks it in the garage and leaves the alligator for his dad to handle in the morning.
Entertaining book about a scenerio most can relate too, the thing under the bed. Some aren't sure what it is, some claim to have seen it but as a child under their bed is a very scary place. Well for this young boy under his bed lives an Alligator and he has a plan to get rid of it. This book is about confidence and is sure to bring smiles and many giggles. Pictures are funny and large enough to see around the room.
Yet another book aimed at instilling fear in children.
Sure, if you've already taught your kid how to be afraid of "monsters" in their room then I suppose this is a good book for them.
Unfortunately the book also tells your kids that it's ok to take all of the food out of the refrigerator and strew it along the floor, enticing the monster out of their room.
If you've made your kid THAT anxious, then probably this would be a good thing for your kid to read/do.
Sure, if you've already taught your kid how to be afraid of "monsters" in their room then I suppose this is a good book for them.
Unfortunately the book also tells your kids that it's ok to take all of the food out of the refrigerator and strew it along the floor, enticing the monster out of their room.
If you've made your kid THAT anxious, then probably this would be a good thing for your kid to read/do.
Oct 11, 2011
Kara Roberts
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
animals,
family,
fear,
fiction,
light-humor,
motivation,
picture-book,
problem-solving,
safety,
suspense
Solving problems in a creative and assertive way. I love that this book shows that one must deal with their problems. This humorous book will be children's favorite. The way the book holds the reader's suspense until the very end of the book was a great way to engage the reader. I loved this book when I was little and I know that other children will too. I would love to use this in my classroom.
Great story to read to children! Make sure you read it in the daytime so they don't get scared though. I think most children can relate to this story because at one point, they believe there's something under there bed. The illustrations are cute. Mercer takes you through a young boy's story about an alligator under his bed. He comes up with a masterpiece plan to get the alligator out.
A young boy is convinced there is an alligator under his bed, even though his parents are never able to see it. One night, he decides to leave a trail of alligator-friendly food from his bedroom, into the hall, down the stairs and out into the garage. He'll just leave a note for his dad that there's now an alligator in the garage.
Another great Mercer Mayer story. When his parent's don't believe that there is an alligator under the bed, the little boy decides to get rid of the alligator by himself. The rhythm is great especially when read aloud. And the pictures are fantastic, adding all kinds of little details and humor to the story.
A funny and clever way to teach kids to not become overwhelmed by your fears, but to try and eliminate or overcome them instead. I loved how the little boy in the story took charge of the situation, even though he was scared, and used his intelligence to lure the alligator out from under his bed.
This book is so cute! I could use this book in Pre-K to 2nd grade. I could use this as an introduction to reptiles. I'd start off with an example of a reptile, an alligator, and read this book. Do you think alligators live under a bed? What do alligators eat?
Kids always think there is some sort of monster under their bed, but an alligator is a new one. Its typical that parents don’t believe the child, but he proves them wrong. It might make children think about having monsters under their bed, but it also helps them get over the fear by facing it.
I loved this book as a kid. When we read this in our groups it took me back to my childhood and really brought back some good memories. This is really a great childrens book because it shows them how the boy was able to think of a way to get rid of the alligator.
A spin from the whole "there's a monster under my bed" stories little ones tell this story is super cute. A brave little boy decided its up to him to get rid of the alligator living under his bed. My son loved it, and I enjoyed reading over and over to him.
I grabbed this to read to my 3 year old who constantly tells me there are monsters in her bedroom. She loved it and for the first time in a long time, she's not bugging me at night to karate chop the ghosts, skeletons and other monsters in her room.
Jan 20, 2010
Wastell Mcneil
added it
A boy had an alligator under his bed and when he told his parents they didn't believe him. He sets up a trap and gets him and leaves a note on the door to his parents. This book really didn't interest me but it can for other children who may like animals.
Very simple story but I think it is so special to share about children's imagination. I also like that it is a Mercer Mayer book but not from his Little Critter collection. Great for children to read to promote imagination.
1st grade reading level
1st grade reading level
I liked this book. I can remember when I was a kid I use to be like the boy in this book. I thought there were strange things under my bed,and I am sure ever kid thinks this at some point. This is a book most kids could relate to, and enjoy.
I remember thinking this little boy was quite silly, but I did like how he tried to get his dad's attention at the end. :) Full review and lesson plans here: http://mshoughtonsclass.wordpress.com...
I love this book. It's cute, the word/picture ratio is great for storytime, and the story is just gross enough to appeal to older children who might not naturally be into storytime. It's a cute addition to an alligator-themed storytime.
Great story for story time, not to long but funny. maybe possible using an alligator puppet.
The alligator under his bed makes a boy's bedtime hazardous operation, until he lures it out of the house and into the garage.
The alligator under his bed makes a boy's bedtime hazardous operation, until he lures it out of the house and into the garage.
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I began illustrating books in 1966. Since that time I have published over 300 books. Most of my books are about things that happened to me when I was a little kid. Now I'm a big kid and I write about things that happen now, especially with my own children. They always remind me of what it was like.
I was born in Arkansas in 1943. Boy, that was a long time ago! It's real fun to be an old kid. Then m...more
More about Mercer Mayer...
I was born in Arkansas in 1943. Boy, that was a long time ago! It's real fun to be an old kid. Then m...more
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