Who Lives in an Alligator Hole?: An Award-Winning Nonfiction Book About Alligators and Their Ecosystem Role for Kids (Ages 4-8)

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2

by Anne Rockwell, Lizzy Rockwell (Illustrator)

Read and find out about aligators in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book. Scientists consider alligators a "keystone species"—the most important animal in their habitat. Without the alligator, many animals dependent on the gator would become extinct. Read and find out about how alligators are much more than big jaws and sharp teeth! This clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom, gives interesting information about American alligators while highlighting how they became an endangered species and what is being done to preserve them and their habitat.  It's a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are: Top 10 reasons to love LRFOs: Books in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Genres: Science, Animals, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Nature, Childrens

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Lorellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know any of this about how alligators make small wetland environments that are good for all the local animals, fascinating. It's a bit wordy for Tot. But she still enjoyed it. The illustrations are nice.

[SaraKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book about how alligators change the habitat and provide homes for other species. I didn't know this about alligators before reading. Very interesting art and facts.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Lives in an Alligator Hole? takes on the American alligator (with some references to other crocodilians including the Chinese alligator). Going into detail about how alligators live and how they are what's known as a keystone species (a species that has a large impact on its ecosystem). Author Anne Rockwell also explores how American alligators have been brought back from the edge of extinction. While never suggesting that alligators are cute and cuddly or great pets, Anne Rockwell expertly explores how they are still vital to our environment.

Illustrator Lizzy Rockwell does an impressive job with depicting this incredible creatures as well as those that live around them. Lizzy Rockwell does not show these complex creatures as overly monstrous--though she makes them fearsome--nor overly cutesy--though she does make her illustrations approachable. Lizzy Rockwell perfectly draws all animals realistically, but still in a style appropriate for a picture book.

For young readers interested in alligators or even just animals in general, Who Lives in an Alligator Hole? is an excellent read.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what an alligator hole was, so this book taught me a lot.

[Guadalupe Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who lives in an alligator hole? by Rockwell Anne
Genre: nonfiction Reading level: K-4 grade Format: good



The book Who lives in an alligator hole? talks about the history of alligators and how alligators where close to extinction due to the fact that people would kill them and sell their skin for money. Because it was well paid but now the alligator species is saved from extinction. The book also talks about how people realized that killing alligators wasn’t a good idea and how alligators are actually not bad predators because they don’t eat as many animals as people think they are so the alligators are no harm to the environment. I like the fact that the book has vocabulary words in the pictures to let the reader know what the text is in each page is trying to get across. While I was reading the book I learned a lot of information I didn’t know about alligators. So I think this book will be great for students to read so they can gain knowledge about alligators.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting and educational picture book about alligators. Included are facts about their origin, their history, where they live, and much more – including what and how they contribute to the environment as a keystone species. Great illustrations.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent non fiction book for my young children. Interesting and informative and put in a way that my five year old understood a scientific concept.

[Elanor]

All by herself!

[LeeAnn Owens]

Summary: This is an informational book about alligators and their habitat.

Evaluation: This was a great nonfiction book for students especially interested in alligators! I liked that it used illustrations instead of actual photographs.

Teaching Point: I would use this in a science lesson to teach students about ecosystems and habitats.