Synopsis
Happy or sad? Hot or cold? Up or down? Sometimes you may feel every which way, and that’s just fine. Keith Baker uses opposites and an irresistible banjo-playing, cake-baking alligator to remind us all of one of life’s simplest—and most important—lessons: Anything is possible if you like who you are and you like what you do.
Children's Literature
Keith Baker's simple story about an alligator is a "Green Light Reader" that following the guidelines for readability in the Reading Recovery program. Encouraging youngsters to begin thinking about themselves and acknowledging their feelings, Baker's alligator admits that sometimes he is happy and sometimes he is sad--but "I like who I am. I like what I do." The bold illustrations are colorfully crowded and appealingly silly. With many repeated phrases, it's easy for children to feel a sense of accomplishment when they are able to read the story aloud to a parent or teacher. The closing question "What about you?" opens the door to a conversation about how youngsters feel about their own daily ups and downs.