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Gator Gumbo: A Spicy-Hot Tale
by Candace Fleming (Illustrator: Sally Anne Lambert)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (2004-03-09)
ISBN: 0374380503
EAN: 9780374380502
Hardcover: 32 pages
Edition: 1st
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
SKU: K0020
Condition: Very Good
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
A new take on The Little Red Hen -- Cajun stylePoor Monsieur Gator is getting old and is moving so slow he can't catch himself a taste of possum or otter, or even a whiff of skunk. Day after day those animals tease and taunt him until, finally, he decides to cook up some gumbo just like Maman used to make. But who will help him boil, catch, sprinkle, and chop? Certainly not rude Mademoiselle Possum, ornery Monsieur Otter, or sassy Madame Skunk. But when the gumbo is ready, they're more than eager to enjoy the result of Gator's hard work and as they run to get a taste - "Slurp! Slip! Plop! Them animals go into the pot." "Mmm-mmm," says Monsieur Gator. "Now, this is gumbo just like Maman used to make."Illustrated with wit and whimsy, this mischievous tale will have young readers laughing out loud.
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Amazon.com Review
Old Monsieur Gator is very slow. He moves "slower than saw grass grows" and "slower than a snail with sore feet." He can no longer catch any of his tasty fellow bayou creatures to eat, "And--oh ho!--them critters sure know it." The possum, skunk, and otter taunt him, wiggling and sashaying just out of his reach. Finally, Gator gets hot (red hot) and hatches a crafty plan--he will make gumbo. When he asks who will help him, Little Red Hen-style, the creatures don't say "Not I," but "I ain't," (a reply more fitting for a Louisiana bayou). But when Gator finishes his okra and crawdad soup, and asks "Who' gonna help eat it?" the chorus chimes "Me! Me!" Gator agrees to let the otter, skunk, and possum take a sip, but when they lean over the pot, slurping and slipping, "Them animals go into the pot." A harsh fate for Gator's sassy tormenters? Perhaps, but revenge is downright tasty for Monsieur Gator. If all this bayou cooking (albeit with characters from the book as ingredients) gets your mouth a-watering, a recipe for "Maman's Spicy-Hot Gumbo" adorns the back cover of the book. Sally Anne Lambert (of Barkus, Sly and the Golden Egg captures the expressions of the tortured old gator and the taunting bullies with great skill, and her use of color and composition is no less than exquisite. A spicy-hot read-aloud, straight from the bayou. (Ages 5 and older) --Karin Snelson
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Customer Reviews
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Gator Gumbo
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-01-27
Great book for kids. New Orleans style story with a surprise twist at the end!
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Gator Gumbo
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-01-01
My kids love this book! It is beautifully illustrated and a fun tale with a Cajun flair. I highly recommend!
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Nice illustrations
Rating  (3)
Date: 2006-11-09
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
This french speaking gator is old and cannot catch his meals any longer. He is teased by the other "critters". He decides to trick them by offering them a taster of the gumbo he finally makes. They fall in and the gator finally gets his stew. Very similiar to the Little Red Hen story only it has a HOT twist.
The only problem is that the language is difficult for some early readers.
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A cautionary tale
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-04-01
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
This Cajun-style version of the little red hen has a real twist at the end of the story. There are wonderful rhythms and repeats that invite listeners to chant along with the story. Kids who are used to "happy, clappy" endings were open-mouth when has some of the characters come to a very bad end! I love cautionary tales!
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Fun book about alligators
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-03-02
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Very nice book, very fun, great characters, nice graphics and a high learning curve and this is better than Disneyland.
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