I got this for my nephew as part of his birthday gift. His name is also Oliver and he just started school so I thought he'd get a kick out this story about a boy named Oliver on his first day of school. After I read it I thought it was a bit dark - spoiler alert: the alligator eats everyone! But it's SUCH a fun book, a super quick read and equally perfect for Oliver, who just turned five, as well as his much younger sister. Illustrations are clean and simple and beautiful. I hear that Oliver and his sister have both had this book become their bedtime reading staple and I instantly smile when I hear them go around repeating "munch munch" followed by giggles. Oliver's first day of school starts out rough right away when his teacher asks him about his name. Luckily, he had swung by the swamp in the morning to pick up an alligator to say "Munch, munch!" And magically the alligator takes care of his fear, swallowing it whole. The only problem is you also miss what might be fun if you don't look at the parts but only look at the whole. Coincidentally, the alligator looks just like the stuffed animal he sleeps with every night. Clean drawings and soft, pastel shading define each page as Oliver's alligator swallows up each person and fearsome situation. Seattle author and illustrator, Paul Schmid, addresses a child's first day jitters at school using the metaphor of an alligator who swallows up fear.
What do You think about Oliver And His Alligator (2013)?
Sweet story about that nervous feeling on the first day of school and about being shy.
—Jay
