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Alligator Boy
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A boy is just plain tired of being a boy. So, he becomes an alligator--and it suits him just fine! His worried mother is comforted by the vet, who reassures her that all will be well, as long as the young alligator boy continues to attend school, of course. Whether scaring the class bully with his commanding grin or singing from his impressive snout in the choir, this bran
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Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
June 1st 2007
by HMH Books for Young Readers
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When I came across this book, my first thought was, "What the heck is this?!" Alligator Boy is actually a funny story about imagination, acceptance, and being yourself... even if that self is scaly and green.
A little boy decides he's had enough of being a little boy, so his aunt sends him an alligator costume. He wears it everywhere. His dad accepts him, but his mom is worried and calls for the doctor (who tells her to call a vet)! The vet basically just tells the parents to accept the kids and ...more
A little boy decides he's had enough of being a little boy, so his aunt sends him an alligator costume. He wears it everywhere. His dad accepts him, but his mom is worried and calls for the doctor (who tells her to call a vet)! The vet basically just tells the parents to accept the kids and ...more

Text-to-Teaching
This book would be great for role-playing. It involved a young boy who was simply tired of being a boy. His aunt then sent him an alligator costume, which eventually turned him into the animal. For an creative response activity, I would read a book to the children that is similar in the sense of being someone different than yourself for the day. To following up, I would have the children to reenact the story in their costumes and explain each character. Or for an alternative, I w ...more
This book would be great for role-playing. It involved a young boy who was simply tired of being a boy. His aunt then sent him an alligator costume, which eventually turned him into the animal. For an creative response activity, I would read a book to the children that is similar in the sense of being someone different than yourself for the day. To following up, I would have the children to reenact the story in their costumes and explain each character. Or for an alternative, I w ...more

Hmm. Well. Let's just say, I wouldn't peg Alligator Boy as written by Cynthia Rylant.
This is a story of a boy who no longer wants to be a boy; he wants to be somebody new. So, his aunt sends him an alligator costume and once the boy puts it on, he decides to live "a good green life."
First and foremost, it's a tale of acceptance. The alligator boy looks differently than everyone else, but he attends school and carries on as any child, going on field trips and singing in music class.
Meanwhile, i ...more
This is a story of a boy who no longer wants to be a boy; he wants to be somebody new. So, his aunt sends him an alligator costume and once the boy puts it on, he decides to live "a good green life."
First and foremost, it's a tale of acceptance. The alligator boy looks differently than everyone else, but he attends school and carries on as any child, going on field trips and singing in music class.
Meanwhile, i ...more

When a boy decides he is done being a boy, he'd rather be somebody new, he chats with his auntie who lived in a faraway land, and she knew just what to do. With a new alligator head and tail, he became a fine alligator boy and no longer just a boy. He explains to his family that he is a lizard now and no longer a boy, and hopes that they still like him. His family goes to great lengths to accommodate and accept this new boy.
This is a sweet story for anyone who has a toddler, child, that is goin ...more
This is a sweet story for anyone who has a toddler, child, that is goin ...more

The illustration style of Diane Goode was reminiscent of Ginger Pye books so I liked the book right away.
It was a silly, rhyme book about a boy wanting to be n alligator. I honestly thought the ending would be different. I knocked off a star because the boy didn't accept himself for who he is. I guess the message was to accept everyone the way they are and want to dress. I rather an alternative ending but it was still a nice read. ...more
It was a silly, rhyme book about a boy wanting to be n alligator. I honestly thought the ending would be different. I knocked off a star because the boy didn't accept himself for who he is. I guess the message was to accept everyone the way they are and want to dress. I rather an alternative ending but it was still a nice read. ...more

A little boy is bored with himself so he puts on an alligator suit and watches as his perspective changes.
Written for children but a story that definitely resonated with me. I remember feeling like a new person every time I went to a new school because it felt like an opportunity to reinvent myself. Often times the only thing we need in life is a change of scenery, a new way of looking at the world.
I feel like I need some of these days.
Written for children but a story that definitely resonated with me. I remember feeling like a new person every time I went to a new school because it felt like an opportunity to reinvent myself. Often times the only thing we need in life is a change of scenery, a new way of looking at the world.
I feel like I need some of these days.

Not entirely sure what to make of this story, even though I adore most of Rylant's books.
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The rhyme may or may not have something to do with why I enjoyed this so much.

This story is a very fun and cute book about a young boy who does not want to be a boy, but he wants to be an alligator instead. Since he wants to be an alligator he decides he is going to be one! His mother is worried about his but the Veterinarian tells her that he can still live his normal life! While I was reading this I was so into it! As a kid I had always wanted to pretend that I was something that I wasn't such as an animal or character but was always sad that I could not actually change
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A young boy decides that he no longer wants to be a boy he wants to be somebody new. His aunt sends him a box and inside that box was an alligator suit. His mom was worried and wanted her son back she called a doctor but needed a vet. The vet said to teach him and feed him and all would be fine. So the little alligator boy went to school because he loved to learn and stood up to bullies, for he loved life as an alligator boy. I really loved this book, the rhythmic text was a great addition to th
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This is a silly book, lacking depth. It is cute, but compared to Rylant's other stellar stories, I cannot recommend this one.
A young boy was tired of being a human -- a boy.
When his mother took him to a Natural History museum, he noticed a stuffed alligator.
From that time forward, he longs to become an alligator. Lucky for him, his distant Aunt sends an alligator costume, which he proceeds to wear everywhere, including to school, at home and in bed.
As the ending notes:
"What a good green life for ...more
A young boy was tired of being a human -- a boy.
When his mother took him to a Natural History museum, he noticed a stuffed alligator.
From that time forward, he longs to become an alligator. Lucky for him, his distant Aunt sends an alligator costume, which he proceeds to wear everywhere, including to school, at home and in bed.
As the ending notes:
"What a good green life for ...more

I think that I would give this unusual Cynthia Rylant story one and a half stars.
"Alligator Boy" is not at all typical of Cynthia Rylant picture books, so I get the sense that perhaps there is a deeper message being conveyed. For one thing, the boy never does seem to become interested in shedding his alligator guise and becoming a boy again, which is what I expected at the end of the book. This is interesting, even if I did not fully fathom the meaning. ...more
"Alligator Boy" is not at all typical of Cynthia Rylant picture books, so I get the sense that perhaps there is a deeper message being conveyed. For one thing, the boy never does seem to become interested in shedding his alligator guise and becoming a boy again, which is what I expected at the end of the book. This is interesting, even if I did not fully fathom the meaning. ...more

This is a good book for beginning readers because it’s not too long and the vocabulary isn’t too difficult, so I would recommend it for kindergarten level. A boy wants to be different, so his aunt sends him an alligator costume. He wears the costume everywhere becoming an alligator boy. That's basically the story.
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This is simple absurdist humor and it was a lot of fun to read. The boy decides to wear an alligator suit because he doesn't want to be regular old boy anymore. Everyone treats him like an alligator, including his mother who at first goes off the deep end a bit and calls for medical attention, but later loves and accepts him for the loving alligator he's become.
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Our story time crowd listened raptly to this delightful story about a boy who receives an alligator costume and wears it daily to school. The children loved "roaring" the bullies away. The text is in verse, but not forced.
For more information rhyming and reading readiness, follow this link: http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/rea... . ...more
For more information rhyming and reading readiness, follow this link: http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/rea... . ...more

I was not excited after reading this book. I believe the author created a brave character of a boy once he is not himself to encourage students to try new things, but the only thing I could use this book for in my classroom would be the stylistic writing. The author stretches one sentence across two pages to create a tone and produce emphasis.

This was a cute book about a boy who doesn't want to be a boy anymore so he dresses up as an alligator. It is funny how the people around him react to his new appearance. The illustrations in the book are alright.
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A little boy doesn't want to be a little boy anymore, so an auntie sends him an alligator tail. Mother is worried and calls the doctor, then the vet, but the vet says he just needs to go to school. Darling story of a little boy with a great imagination.
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The pictures were darling and I really wanted to like this better than I did. The rhyming was too awkward for my enjoyment. That being said, I think the target audience will find this one a clear winner. My students reviewed it quite positively.

A boy looking for a change becomes an alligator, which is just fine with the local vet, as long as he goes to school. It is OK to be different, especially when one is comfortable in one's alligator skin.
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An author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and young adults as well as an author and author/illustrator of picture books for children, Cynthia Rylant is recognized as a gifted writer who has contributed memorably to several genres of juvenile literature. A prolific author who often bases her works on her own background, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains, she
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