Aaalligator! – Judith Henderson + Andrea Stegmaier

A timely tale about empathy, acceptance and a community’s response to injustice. Though he’s scared at first, a boy who encounters an alligator in the woods soon realizes that all the alligator wants is companionship — and leftovers — and the two become good friends. But the mayor of the boy’s town simply won’t allow it. He even makes an official proclamation, NO ALLIGATORS! Blah, blah, blah. The townspeople agree with the mayor. At first. But once they see how kind and helpful the alligator is (and how nice it is to have someone to eat all their leftovers!), they decide the alligator should be allowed to stay. They help the alligator avoid the mayor, for a while. But it’s becoming harder to find a place for him to hide. Can they all come together and find a way to keep the alligator in their town?