Review by Booklist Review
K-Gr. 3. Borrowing from the classic tale about the Little Red Hen, Fleming cooks up a spicy brew about a crafty alligator who isn't spry enough to catch the critters taunting him, but has little trouble outwitting them. When Monsieur Gator decides to make a pot of gumbo, he asks Possum, Otter, and Skunk for help. They snicker, snort, and snap their refusals, but when Gator wonders who will help him eat the stew, the hungry critters all cry, Me! Me! With much pleasure, Gator notes that he did all the work, So now I'm gonna eat the gumbo all by myself. But that isn't the end of the hungry gator's revenge; Possum, Otter, and Skunk are in for a big, messy surprise. Lambert's detailed, winsome pictures are beautifully rendered. Their characters are full of expression and mischief, and they nicely capture the flavor of the Louisiana bayou setting. The colloquial speech and sprinkling of French words, combined with a fairly lengthy text, make this a good choice for older children. --Lauren Peterson Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Until its rather shocking ending, this humorous picture book with its Cajun-flavored language and sly watercolors, contains many ingredients found in traditional tales. Like Br'er Rabbit, Possum pretends to be scared of aged Monsieur Gator as he taunts, "Puhleeze, don't eat me!" Reminiscent of The Gingerbread Man, Fleming's (Who Invited You?) three villains chant: "Try, try, as hard as you can! You can't catch us,' cause you're an old man!" And like the barnyard animals in The Little Red Hen, Mademoiselle Possum, Monsieur Otter and Madame Skunk all refuse to help as Monsieur Gator chops and peels the ingredients into the cauldron to make gumbo. The wily alligator lures the mischievous animals closer and closer to the pot until "Slurp! Slip! Plop! Them animals go into the pot" and he eats them, "Mmm-mmm!" Dynamic and full of atmosphere, Lambert's (Barkus, Sly and the Golden Egg) pictures start out showing the alligator as victim and emphasizing the nastiness of the trio's pranks (they pelt him with eggs, sticks and stones), the lushness of the bayou setting only slightly vitiating his misery. But given that these animals are smaller, younger and come to look more innocent than the increasingly squinty-eyed, sneaky Monsieur Gator, it's also likely that the audience will have identified with them. Although kids may wish for the characters' comeuppance, the bad guys haven't been bad enough for their demise to be satisfying, and the comedy isn't broad enough to make the final joke all that funny. Ages 4-8. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-This is a classic tale of contemptuous characters getting a well-deserved comeuppance, with a few interesting twists to spice up the dish. Poor Monsieur Gator is too old to catch his dinner, a fact that has not escaped his former prey-a possum, an otter, and a skunk. As he barely scrapes by on vegetables, the cruel animals tease him endlessly. Finally, Monsieur Gator decides to cook up some gumbo, "just like Maman used to make," and in a sequence straight out of "The Little Red Hen," he asks his tormentors to help him gather the ingredients. Of course they refuse to participate until the fragrant stew is ready and they gather around hoping for a taste. The wily old predator obliges by tricking them into the pot. Although Lambert's watercolors capture the general mood of the swamp, the absence of anything resembling palmetto fronds or moss-hung cypress trees is telling. Also, anyone who has ever cooked gumbo will immediately recognize that Monsieur Gator's recipe is way off base. Fortunately, the story flows well in spite of these slips and Gator ultimately accomplishes his goal. Both the story and the illustrations are well executed. For more authentic swamp scenes and Cajun critters, mix in anything by Tynia Thomassie, J. J. Renaux, or Sharon Arms Doucet.-Sean George, Memphis-Shelby County Public Library & Information Center, Memphis, TN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) In this Cajun take-off on ""The Little Red Hen,"" poor hungry Monsieur Gator is getting too old and slow to ""catch himself a taste of possum...or a whiff of stripe-tailed skunk. And--oh ho!--them critters sure know it."" The animals sass and tease him mercilessly, until the sly old gator starts cooking up a pot of Maman's gumbo that brings them begging for a taste--and we just know they're going to get it. While Monsieur Gator ""moves slower than saw grass grows,"" Fleming's sprightly text bounces right along as ""Mince! Dice! Chop! Them spices go into the pot."" A hint of wickedness and the lilting Cajun rhythms (but no tricky pronunciations) will spice up story time for all but the most squeamish. Lambert's expressive illustrations will win sympathy for the gator, and the mean, lazy critters are surely deserving of their fate: ""Slurp! Slip! Plop! Them animals go into the pot. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Poor Monsieur Gator, gettin' old and slow, can't catch himself a taste of critter, no how. He suffers silently as Mademoiselle Possum, Monsieur Otter, and Madame Skunk all tease and pester him--until he decides to make Maman's gumbo. Just like the Little Red Hen, he asks who will help build a fire, fill the pot with water, catch crawdads, pick okra, grind spices, and add rice. Of course, the critters all say, "I ain't!"--except when it's eatin' time. Beggin' for just a taste, M. Gator tricks them into the pot--slurp, slip, plop--makin' a gumbo "just like Maman used to make!" The appealing illustrations dress the animals in trousers and caps and provide visual puns like dropping an egg on Gator's head. Creole cadence, playfulness with words, and good ol' out-smartin' flavor this tasty tale. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
