Conrad J. Storad

Update: I first wrote this review about 2 weeks ago. We have had it for about a month now and it is still being read and talked about. Now that spring has arrived and the children can play outside, I often hear one of them ask, "what about this one? Will this make a good pet?" With one particular child this causes some concern and I have to move quickly to see what he wants to bring home. This, however, is not the fault of the author so I won't take any stars off for it. We no longer read it show more every day but it is remaining a weekly read so far.

I received my copy of Gator, Gator, Second Grader: Classroom Pet or Not? through a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. We were so excited to learn that we had been selected. I read to and with my grandchildren: 13, 8, (2, a boy and a girl) 7, 6, 3 and 1. One of the 7 year old and the 8 year old are autistic. I give this information because I am always interested in who the audience is and what they thought when I read a review for a children's book. I am interested in what the adult reviewer has to say but it is what children say that tends to sway me more.

The grandchildren who could talk, all had positive things to say about this book. The book is delightfully illustrated by Alex Lopez. The pictures are colorful and engaging. All of the children enjoyed the pictures. A few of the comments about the illustrations are that "they are funny," (3 year old) and "they teach you about school," (6 & 7 year old) and, "they are imaginative," (13 year old). The one year selects it often to just look at the pictures while she "tells" the story. For me, engaging one so small and catching her interest in "reading" the story herself is high praise on illustrations.

The books opens with an introduction by Sue, a cute classroom gerbil. Sue does a wonderful job setting up the classroom and the background to the story. One of my 7 year olds had a bit of a fright at all the words in the intro saying, "how am I going to read all this?" (Being autistic he can get wound up and trapped in things that he isn't sure about). However, once we started reading it, he got into it and started talking about his classroom, comparing the two. In the story there is some rhyming and he picked up on that right away. The children greatly enjoyed when the class was calling out what animal is a good pet and what animal is not. That part of the story always gets interrupted by the children adding their own thoughts. It can get pretty silly and we have great fun with it. Even the 13 year old gets engaged by this. This part of the story is, hands down, a favorite part for all the children. My favorite parts are at the end of the book. There you will find several educational pages on being a pet owner, vocabulary words, information about Sue and alligators and, drum roll please, an activity guide. While the book is geared toward a classroom, (and truly if you are looking at a gift for a teacher this book would be a hit!), the activities can be used at home, (this book is also excellent for home schoolers). I know this because we have done a couple of them and have the rest planned to do. The final 4 pages are devoted to telling us about the author, illustrator and publisher with a handy dandy order form. Their are pictures on these pages of the author, illustrator and his family as well as one of the publisher. I was surprised by how interested the children were in them, particularly in Mr Lopez and his family. They were delighted to know that Mr Storad chose to rescue a dog for his pet. It is how we choose our pets and one of the 7 year olds plays pretty regularly at an animal shelter. Learning of the author's choice gave them something in common. The 8 year old and the 13 year were most impressed by Mr Lopez. The 8 year old, (the other autistic child), is interested in art and learning that Mr Lopez was self taught really excited him, while the video game experience got the attention of the 13 year old. Seeing his children engaged the children who wondered if they like to draw and began a series of I wonder questions about him and his girls.

Comments about the book: "The pages about the alligators were awesome. "Can we get a gerbil and name her Sue? She can eat the broccoli." (The answer to that was no.) " "Let's do an activity from Gator, Gator." "Do the author and the artist know each other? How did they get together to work together when they live far apart?" And the two most telling comments of all...."Can we read it again?" "Can we buy more books by Mr Storad and Mr Lopez?" There were many other comments and questions but I think these show that the children were interested in all parts of the book, even those parts I really did not think would interest them much.

I give this book 5 stars and really wish I could give it more. My reasoning for the star rating follows. The appeal went far beyond the age group it is intended for. The children haven't gotten bored by it. I get a request for it to be read nearly every day. Their excitement has led the children to investigate the websites that were listed. The children seek out animals they can add to the part of this is a good pet but this is not. The children requested more by the author. I also enjoyed the book and my enthusiasm has not waned through repeated readings. It is a book I would purchase as a gift. It is a book I would enthusiastically recommend.

Thank you Goodreads, the author and the publisher for the book. We are greatly enjoying it! show less

This is an enjoyable read reminding us of the power of story – past, present, and future. Story Monsters come in many shapes and sizes. They love nothing more than a good story. It takes us all the way back to the ancient past and then into the future reminding us of the evolution of storytelling throughout various cultures; from cave paintings in southern France 31,000 years ago, to cuneiform impressions 6,000 years ago in southern Iraq, Aesop’s fables in 400BC, the creation of paper show more 1900 years ago in China, Shakespeare’s plays at the Globe Theatre in 1275AD, the Grimm brothers in 1810 in Germany, Dr. Seuss in 1961, and the near future on Mars. I loved this journey through time.

The illustrations not only enhance the story but are also charming, each showing the shapeshifting Story Monsters living among us throughout history and across cultures. This is an educational read for both children and adults. The book includes a “Words to Learn” list and an activity guide that parents and teachers will find helpful. This book would be an ideal addition to your classroom and/or library and a welcome gift to children who have the love of storytelling.

I received an electronic ARC from Story Monsters Press. Opinions expressed here are my own. show less

It's a good book because it has a good and inspiring message that everyone should know and understand which is "Don't judge and get to know them".

Review by 7 year old niece (posted as written):

This is a story about Javelinas. They are not pigs. They are like WarrynBoar except they are only found in North and South America. They were named by the Spanish because their teeth are like spears. They have bad eyesight. They eat plants and bugs and snakes and fruit and Prickley Pear Cactus. They are warriors and pretect the others from danger even if they get hurt. That is good.