The Three Little Gators

March 2, 2009
Readers-particularly from the Lone Star State-who can't get enough of the original Three Little Pigs may enjoy this Texan transformation from the team behind Armadilly Chili. Ketteman's story features three gap-toothed young gators who outwit the Big-bottomed Boar, but the tag lines are not quite as memorable as the original wolf's huffing and puffing. When he's refused entry to the gators' houses, the boar threatens, "Then I'll wiggle my rump with a bump, bump, bump and smash your house!" The neon gators are differentiated only by a straw hat, a baseball cap, and a pair of glasses (which naturally belong to the smartest gator, who builds his house out of rocks). Ketteman adds a subtle-if somewhat didactic-message about sloth by having the gators scorn each others' building materials ("Bad choice.... Rocks are heavy and too much work"). Still, folksy details in both text ("Third Gator ran faster than a fox after a muskrat") and art (a bottle of boar sauce sits next to the fireplace, as the boar earns some grill marks) should entertain. Ages 4-8.

June 1, 2009
K-Gr 3-This version of the familiar story is set deep in the east Texas swamp. Three little gators set off on their own, leaving their mama, who warns them to be careful of the Big-bottomed Boar. And when they build their flimsy houses, readers will know what to expect. But Ketteman's retelling, including a sassy Texas twang, makes the story hilarious and bright. Add in a catchy chorus, repeated each time the Big-bottomed Boar comes visiting, and readers will be chiming in on cue. "Then I'll wiggle my rump with a bump, bump, bump and smash your house!" Terry's illustrations work well with the story. The colors are vibrant yet ominous and swampy. The textures are also wonderful, from the smoothness of gator hide and graininess of the swamp sand to the hairiness of the ugly boar. A fun choice for libraries and classrooms."Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ"

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