Gabby is a young girl who befriends a gator- they are both unliked, Gabby because she is unusual and Gator because he eats dogs. They form a unique friendship that withstands the trials of bullies and animal control alike.Gabby is a young girl who has no active parents who sets very high goals for herself at home about the environment and how to save it. Unrealistic character? Check. A gator who eats innocent dogs and is constantly chasing other animals to eat? Check. Negative reinforced stereotypes about cheerleaders (or clique-y girls) and football players? Check.Hmm.... This is meant for younger students and I believe it's meant to get a good laugh. I'm assuming this is for 1st-2nd graders, not any of the upper elementary set, because this book is just too implausible (and not just in a "fantasy" sort of way) and too ridiculous for the older kids to take seriously. The only likable aspect of the gator is that he likes tubas and dances with Gabby when she plays. What does this teach children? Like the first person you see who talks to you. To me, that means, "Hey kids, it's okay if the person you're talking to is a scary old man or a creepy gator who eats puppies... if you find someone who will be your friend, do it!" Gator eats poodles, Gabby's stuffed rabbit, and EVEN GABBY by the end of the book. If the book is supposed to reinforce the idea that "you can be friends with whoever will listen to you", then it succeeds. The only characters presented in the book are: 1) an incompetent and horrible bully football player 2) three identically vapid cheerleaders 3) Gabby, sans parents or any adult 4) a gator who eats puppies and 5) an incompetent animal control man. Wow. If these are Gabby's choices of friends, it's a rough life she has ahead of her.If Gator had had any more redeeming characteristics, such as giving up eating small animals or people, then maybe I would consider this an okay book. But it does not imply that Gator learns his lesson about eating pets. I suppose the Gator is slightly sympathetic because of a half-formed idea of his fear of water (and fear of being flushed down a toilet) but it's not convincing enough for me to care. I was more concerned for the sad, lonely dogs in the pound that Gabby left behind so that her Gator could be saved. What a horrible trade-off!An interesting introduction to graphic novels for youth... perhaps it's aiming to be funny? But it falls flat. The gator himself is drawn in an adorable way, but his character is unlikable, and Gabby is too unrealistic for a small child. And in a book where adults are negligent or evil, that's not a great main character for my primary-elementary aged students.Try, try again.(Stephen says: It reads like a kids not-so-great Nickelodeon TV show. Mostly because the characters are just not interesting.) OH EMM GEE SO ADORABLE.This is a fluffy kitty of a book - Gabby is a girl that's clearly different from her peers, and they unfortunately don't let her forget it. She's got a lot of ideas for the world and no real outlet for it.Then there's Gator. He's an alligator. He likes to eat, and he's a little misunderstood since the only food he can find happens to be the neighborhood pets.Gabby and Gator meet each other, bond over their situations, and such begins an absolutely cute adventure that has a lot of great messages in it as well as fun, fast-paced text and artwork. It's sort of a early graphic novel of sorts, and it's just really a lot of fun. I don't know what else to say about it except that it's truly the most squee-worthy thing I've read in some time. Really highly recommended.
What do You think about Gabby And Gator (2010)?
So cute! Great tale about making friends and sticking up to bullies and fears.
—slevi
Fun for younger readers. Has a good message on acceptance.
—vickie
