See You Later, Alligator

Joan Buchanan is a writer, storyteller and instructor and author of
Taking Care of My Cold.

Charles has written an entertaining story to which Cathcart has added
colorful, playful, almost childlike illustrations. Corky Crocodile and
Allie Alligator frolic happily together, sharing sand and swimming pool,
until one day Allie gets new shoes. Corky doesn’t stay to play, but
comes back with new shoes and striped socks. Thus, a competition begins
that drives the two friends apart. The conflict is resolved gently but
effectively.

Preschoolers and beginning readers will enjoy the jokes, the action and
language patterns, and the large print. The beauty of the text is its
simplicity. There’s just the right amount of predictability. Without
moralizing, Charles gets across the message that one-upping others is a
waste of time. Children will have fun rereading the story and finding
all the animals in the backgrounds.