See you later…

This picture book, although simple on first appearance and seemingly pitched at infants, is perhaps better placed shared with slightly older primary school pupils due to the prior understanding of stories and rhymes required to truly engage with all that the text offers.

Initially we meet Gary the alligator and it is easy to assume you know the story which is about to unfold. Gary is disillusioned with his swamp and determines to explore the human accommodation at the top of the hill in search of a better life. In many ways we can be forgiven for falling in with the classic aspects of this tale – character seeks better, character explores new environment, character quickly longs for home. This is exactly what we are presented with: Gary progresses from room to room exploring and quietly rejecting the ‘shiny’ new experiences he finds within the human household. Just as he reflects on his adventure and resolves to return home, the family return! Gary hides out until he thinks he can sneak away undetected only to find that the child in the family had spotted him, but will keep his secret.

As a simple story, it serves as a reminder that home is indeed where the heart is. The illustrations are engaging and there is much to talk about with young readers, helping them to further engage. They may however find some of the language quite challenging and the presentation of the text on the page, if reading independently. There is some lovely use of the well-known rhyme See you later alligator and also references to other classic texts – these do require a slightly older reader in order to fully enjoy the humour, but the ability to read the text at different levels over time may be an advantage for some.