See You Later, Alligator

by Sally Hopgood, Emma Levey (Illustrator)

A silly story with bright, engaging illustrations and expressive, rhyming text that children will want to read—and giggle through—again and again.

A departing tortoise has his bags packed and is almost ready to set out on an adventure, but he can’t leave until he says good-bye to each of his animal friends. The tortoise stops for every last timid mouse and bumblebee, shouting his rhyming good-byes, making you wonder if, perhaps, he’s stalling the start of his trip.

His animal friends appear startled as he suddenly pops up on each page to say adieu—especially the perplexed rhinoceros the tortoise mistakes for a unicorn! With each farewell, the tortoise’s good-byes get sillier and more creative. When will the good-byes end and the adventure begin?

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Adventure, Friendship, Kids

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2015

Reviews

[Shainlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this for my niece as a gift. I could just hear her little voice saying these things out loud! I miss her very much. My mother keeps saying she reminds her of me. I remember being fond of saying things like, “See you later, Alligator!”;
to my grandparents when I left their house, and hugged them goodbye, for the time being. I thought it was so hilarious, because they would reply with another one to me.
There are different ones in here and I love them. Thinking of my niece saying bye to my mom like this… her grandma, and smiling —makes me grin. Good times.

I adore the illustrations and the colors or the animals. The expressions on their faces are just great! They match the sayings just perfectly.

[Cristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! Super cute rhyming and illustrations!

[Katie A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the cheerful packaging, this book is sort of sad because the tortoise never leave the purgatory of the zoo. Like Sisyphus with his boulder, he must every day complete the same cycle of goodbyes only to arrive at a locked gate at the end of the day. Will likes the pictures, though.

[Npbenton49comcast.net · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever book adopt Animals

The use is rhyming words and charming illustrations in the book about animals was a great quick read for developing reading skills in my 6 year old grandson!

[Clara Wrenford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished See You Later, Alligator by Sally Hopgood, and I think you’d love it. It’s such a playful little story about a tortoise who’s heading off on an adventure but can’t resist stopping to say goodbye to every single friend along the way. The rhymes are fun and bouncy—perfect for reading aloud—and the illustrations are so bright and expressive that they almost feel like they’re moving across the page.

It reminded me of those silly sayings we used as kids (“See you later, alligator…”) but with a really sweet, modern picture-book twist. Honestly, it’s the kind of book you’ll end up reading on repeat because the kids will giggle and spot new details every time. Definitely one I’d keep on the bedtime shelf!

[Rachael Davis (Picture Book Perfect) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tortoise wants to say goodbye to the animals in the zoo before he sets off on an adventure. But there are so many animals, saying goodbye is an adventure in itself. The final spread brings the story together (I won’t spoil the ending here, though you may have guessed already!).

This humorous rhyming picture book lends itself to the younger reader as they know what is coming with the simple but clever alternative ways of saying goodbye.

See my full review with pictures here.

[Tiffany May Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and simple-to-read rhyming story about a tortoise who spends his days saying goodbye to all of his zoo/park friends on his way to go on an adventure outside of the park. He never makes it to the the park exit though because he takes too much time seeing all of his friends before he leaves. This is a great “read aloud” book where the familiar animal illustrations are the real winners. My 3 year old daughter especially loves it when the tortoise calls the rhino a unicorn- she thinks it’s hilarious. Each page, besides the first and the last, only has one sentence/phrase written on it, so it’s great for parents who don’t especially love reading aloud.

[Emmaleigh Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

"See You Later, Alligator" by Sally Hopgood is a delightful and playful picture book that will charm children and their caregivers. The book tells the story of a series of animal friends who say goodbye to each other in their unique ways. Each animal says goodbye using a fun and rhythmic phrase that rhymes with "See you later, alligator," from a "wild crocodile" to a "silly gorilla," and more, making it a joyful, sing-song experience for readers. The repetitive and rhythmic structure of the text makes this book an excellent choice for read-aloud, especially for younger children just starting to recognize patterns in language.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review: This was a very cute story, little ones will get such a kick out of all the saying Tortoise comes up with to say goodbye to all of his animal friends. It would be a fun book to read before or shortly after going to the zoo to spark conversations about the various animals there. It is a short story and is great for a quick bedtime read and would be a good reminder for those reluctant sleepers that goodbye and goodnight are only for a short time and it will all begin again in the morning.

[Linda (bythebellbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book proves to be an excellent choice for young readers. The colorful and engaging illustrations enhance the learning experience, capturing the attention of children and fostering a love for books. The rhythmic text promotes language development and encourages active participation during read-aloud sessions. The animal theme also provides an opportunity for educational discussions, making it a valuable addition to both the classroom and home library.

[Tim Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chomp the Baby Gator enjoyed this fun story about saying goodbye to friends in a fun and memorable way. Being a gator himself, Chomp can relate!

Saying goodbye is explored through the journey of an alligator who decides it's time to leave. As he bids farewell to his friends, each character responds with a unique and funny send-off. This book helps children understand that goodbyes can be a natural and positive part of life, leaving them with a smile and a sense of adventure.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this book was a tad young for my group of 4-5 year olds. I will definitely use it again when I read to the 2-3 crowd. The pictures were a hit, with the anteater and snail being a favorite. If you are reading to older kids like I was, I would say bring a second book. This one went by a little quickly for a full storytime. It would pair well with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?

[Sirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Later and Alligator are just the beginning of the rhyming farewells a certain tortoise thinks up as he's getting ready to go on an adventure! He has a lot of goodbyes to say, which leads to a humorous ending.

This is a very simple book full of silly rhymes, but it made me laugh out loud at the end (even though I was in the silent reading room... oops).

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is such a cute book to learn different ways to say goodbye but also taking the time to say goodbye to the people who mean the most to you. I think this can help kids learn about how we like to put the people we care about before ourselves and how we like to always think about them. I think this will be a great book to put in my classroom library to have my students read.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story version of the oft used "goodbye poem". It does not follow the traditional rhyme; for example "time to go buffalo" is turned into "It's over that hill, Buffalo Bill".

If you use the goodbye poem in storytime on a regular basis, like I do, the kiddos might try to correct you as you're reading. Also, practice the rhyming scheme; it's a bit clumsy.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for Levey’s illustrations, so a picture book bundle with See You Later, Alligator was an instant buy. Levey is a lovely match for Hopgood’s humorous story with a good proper-belly-laugh ending

[Ashley Aldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book and a familiar one based on the saying "see you later alligator" It gives different ways you can say goodbye to people and plays on engaging and silly phrases. I think this would be fun to incorporate how we say goodbye to students in the classroom

[Lonnye Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

My four-year-old granddaughter and I say goodbye in rhymes so I had hoped this book would be something she could relate to. The “unicorn” disappointed her and the ending was a little confusing. Still, we enjoyed our time reading together.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny ending, that I did not see coming, adds to the sheer simplicity here. A great book, allowing a lot of joining in with as regards all the different animals, yet without constant repetition - I can see much use for this.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Choral read alouds and individual reading. K-2 kids loved being able to do it themselves and adored the illustrations. They liked finding everyone's houses on the map before and after readings. A hit on many levels.

[Rebecca Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tortoise is going on a big adventure to see the world, and says goodbye to his friends one by one. Saying goodbye is not easy, as we discover with tortoise. Cute story, lots of different animals, fun rhymes.

[michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good for my 3-5 year olds during story time.
Upbeat and fun way to say goodbye to friends.
I selected this book because of the rhyme and because it allows the children to see all the different animals.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tortoise is going on a walk or trip and he stops to tell each of his friends goodbye but when he finishes it is too late to go. Silly premise and fun to read with all the animals the turtle/tortoise stops to say goodbye to.

[Carly J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would use this book to introduce rhyming words. As tortoise goes to say goodbye to all his friends, they say goodbye in silly ways that rhyme. I think this is another book that students would just enjoy based on the fun illustrations and silly words.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A turtle finds a way to say goodbye in rhyme to every animal in the zoo. Cute. Pretty good artwork. Some of the rhymes are a little awkward.

[Reine Lighthart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute?

My daughter loves this book! The story is perfect for her to practice her reading! She loves all of the animals and the pictures!

[Graceann Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good run rhyming book..

my toddlers lived reciting after me, but after a while of all the goods byes kind of lost me and was wondering when it would be done.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light-hearted conversation starter about goodbyes. Great illustrations and use of rhyme. This will definitely be a popular work resource!

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was..an interesting story. I think some children will like it because the ending is absurd. Others will feel cheated.

[Mairéad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice rhyming story that could be used as a prompt for a fun lesson on the many different ways we can greet/say goodbye to people with young children (3+)