Chomp Goes the Alligator

by Matthew Van Fleet, Matthew Van Fleet (Illustrator)

Overview

“A bang-up banquet certain to draw demands for repeat courses and sturdy enough to survive them.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A big, playful counting book that’s great fun for reading aloud.” —Booklist (starred review)
“Another irresistibly touchable title for toddler-age readers.” —Publishers Weekly

From #1 New York Times bestselling novelty book creator Matt Van Fleet comes an irresistible picture book about a very hungry alligator who likes to chomp, chomp, chomp, which will delight readers as they learn animal names, colors, and counting.

Along came the alligator,
chomp, chomp, chomp!

From the internationally bestselling children’s book creator Matthew Van Fleet comes the story of a hungry little alligator who gulps his way from one to ten. Ten touchable textures, a sturdy chomping pull tab, and a grand finale pop-up are sure to engage the youngest readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534426771
Publisher:	Little Simon
Publication date:	09/04/2018
Pages:	26
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Matthew Van Fleet’s innovative books have been introducing children to basic concepts for more than twenty years. His uniquely designed board books invite toddlers to touch, press, pull, lift, and even sniff as they explore colors, shapes, numbers, letters, opposites, and more. His New York Times bestselling titles include Cat, Heads, Alphabet, and Moo, as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Tails and Dog. His books have sold more than 9.6 million copies and have been translated around the world. He lives with his family in New York. Visit him online at VanFleetBooks.com.

Matthew Van Fleet’s innovative books have been introducing children to basic concepts for more than twenty years. His uniquely designed board books invite toddlers to touch, press, pull, lift, and even sniff as they explore colors, shapes, numbers, letters, opposites, and more. His New York Times bestselling titles include Cat, Heads, Alphabet, and Moo, as well as the #1 New York Times bestsellers Tails and Dog. His books have sold more than 9.6 million copies and have been translated around the world. He lives with his family in New York. Visit him online at VanFleetBooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

One shiny, blue fish / swimming in the swamp. / Along came the alligator . . . chomp, chomp, chomp!” A similar couplet introduces each of nine increasing large groups of animals that follow the fish down the gullet of an amiable-looking alligator, usually depicted floating over the action. The last two spreads focus on the gator, who opens his jaws for one last fish—and burps up all the birds, beasts, and bugs he’s swallowed. The story, reminiscent of the Danish folktale The Fat Cat, unfolds in pleasing rhymes with a memorable chorus, while the appealing ink-and-watercolor illustrations offer their own interactive elements, from smooth, furry, fuzzy, feathery, shiny, and sticky textures, to a pull-tab chomping alligator jaw and a sturdy pop-up that expands the last spread. While the book’s large format may present a challenge, libraries with mini-shelves for board books will want copies anyway, perhaps for toddler story programs. A big, playful counting book that’s great fun for reading aloud. — Carolyn Phelan

Sept 1, 2018 - Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*

"There’s a big die-cut “chomp” taken out of the side of this oversized counting and touch-and-feel book. The culprit? An adorable alligator who gobbles up fellow swamp animals from one to 10. A large pull-tab makes the alligator’s mouth open wide: “Four leathery, black beavers biting by the swamp. Along came the alligator... chomp, chomp, chomp!” With each new meal, the alligator’s belly gets fuller, growing colorful stripes from tummy to tail. Die-cuts feature tactile and eye-catching embellishments: a fox has a bushy red tail, a frog’s tongue feels sticky to the touch, and a hummingbird is shiny pink. A big “Burp!” and a pop-up surprise assuage any concerns readers may have about the animals. Van Fleet delivers another irresistibly touchable title for toddler-age readers." — Publishers Weekly

July 9, 2018 - Publishers Weekly

★ 2018-07-30

A hungry alligator chows down on 10 sets of unwary swamp denizens—with, eventually, predictable results.

The heavy-duty pull-tab in the back cover is going to get a real workout here, as it makes the cheery gator's jaw (visible above the top of each page) snap loudly shut to a chorus of "chomp, chomp, chomp!" on one "shiny, blue" fish, followed by two "furry, brown" otters, three "fluffy, white" cranes, and so on up to 10 "shimmering, purple" hummingbirds. As the adjectival insertions hint, each brightly smiling new quarry in the colorful cartoon illustrations comes with not only a number to count, but a textured tactile patch to touch (each scene also features a few artfully placed die-cut holes). Likely deflecting at least most parental frets about implicit or explicit violence in the rhymed and patterned scenario, Van Fleet arranges his figures so there's no actual eating to be seen. As it eats, the increasingly rotund crocodile sprouts rainbow stripes so it looks rather like a striped pool toy—and when it at the end chomps on one tiny fish too many, it proceeds to belch out all the unharmed victims in a mighty foldout explosion. "Excuse me!" Inconspicuous labels on most of the flora and fauna dish up further nibbles of natural history.

A bang-up banquet certain to draw demands for repeat courses and sturdy enough to survive them. (Pop-up board book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews