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The Three Little Gators (2009)

by Helen Ketteman(Favorite Author)

4.04 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

080757824X (ISBN13: 9780807578247)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Albert Whitman & Company

review 1: This could be considered a fractured fairy tale. It is a great twist from the classic tale three little pigs but with the obvious twist of alligators. This tale begins with the gators going to live alone and each gator making a house of their own. One house made of rocks, one house made of sticks, and one house made of sand.The point of these houses is to stay away from the big-bottomed boar. This humorous spin and the use of great illustrations makes this fun spin on a classic tale a possible classic on its own. It creates a fun story to read to anyone at bed time or during story time at school. The three little gators is a great picture book worth picking up.
review 2: SummaryThe familiar tale of The Three Little Pigs encounters a seasoned twist of the east T... moreexas swamp in The Three Little Gators. Mama gator sends her three little gator boys out on their own with a warning to build safe strong houses to withstand the infamously evil Big-bottomed Boar. The gators each build a house from either rocks, sticks or sand.In traditional fashion, it’s not long before the Big-bottomed Boar arrives and with a, “…wiggle [of] my rump with a bump, bump, bump” he destroys the first two homes. Of course, the house firmly built of rocks withstands the thump and bump of his big-bottomed rump so he squeezes down the chimney to catch his tasty dinner. Much to his surprise he lands upon the barbecue grill which sears stripes into his bottom and causes him to run away, never to be seen again. The three little gators meanwhile help each other build two new strong rock houses so they can all live safely together ever after.AnalysisThree little gators set off in the swamps of east Texas with the best of intentions but with a tinge of naivety. Amid their journey, they each choose building materials indigenous to the swamp to shelter themselves from the threat of the boar. While following the traditional formula, The Three Little Gators manages to invoke its own refreshing view of the story. Not only does the flair of the swamp set the story apart, but in a unique twist, it is the first gator who comes upon the pile of rocks to build a strong home. The other two decide it would be way to much work to build a home of rocks and continue on. Likewise, when the second gator discovers the sticks, the third gator still deems it too much work and walks on until he finds and decides to use sand to construct his home. This variation seems to provide an increased moral to the story and introduces a more natural flow to the tale.The text matches the native feel of the book through its expressions and language. Ketteman sprinkles a bit of hyperbole here and there that matches the culture and tradition of the area. They, “raced faster than snakes after a bullfrog” is indicative of the kind of language throughout the book.The illustrations use an analogous color scheme of green and orange with the common hue of yellow. The myriad of shades used throughout the book create a low-lying foggy feel to the entire story. Aside from a few plants and lily pads, the gators are the only illustrations with the stand out color of green, while all others are found in the shades of oranges and yellows. The pages are slick and glossy which only serve to enhance the impression of a wet slippery swamp. The background in each illustration is vague and full of shadows and shades. The big-bottomed boar is drawn wild-eyed and with a wickedly mean look in his eye, while the gators eyes perfectly capture the wide-eyed look of fear and worry.Lesson IdeasCompare different cultural variations of The Three Little Pigs and discuss traits specific to each area as well as similarities the two cultures share.Find similarities and differences when compared with the traditional tale.Research additional animals found in swamplands. Discuss the balance of the ecosystems found in that biome. less

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