Alligator Sue

by Sharon Arms Doucet, Anne Wilsdorf (Illustrator)

"All you can do is be who you is." Suzanne Marie Sabine Chicot Thibodeaux (called Sue for short) lives on a houseboat deep in Louisiana's Atchafalaya Swamp. One lazy summer afternoon when the air grows heavier than a catfish's bath towel, a hurricane swoops Sue up -- only to drop her like a hot patate into the swamp below. Sue finds herself nose-to-snout with a queen-sized, prickly-backed mama Alligator. Luckily, Mama Coco is no ordinary gator. She invites Sue into her family and teaches her all she knows. Sue tries hard to be an alligator; still, every once in a while, she recalls a wisp of a familiar song and begins to wonder: Who am I -- a Gator or a Girl? How this spirited heroine claims her identity and her name -- Alligator Sue -- makes a funny, affecting, and wise tale, illustrated with irresistible joie de vivre.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2003

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte and Eric both loved this book about a girl who lives in Louisiana swamp. After a hurricane blows her into the nest of an alligator the girl is adopted by Mama Coco and lives with the alligator family until he discovers her old home and her true identity as a "Girl." Feeling isolated and lonely, Sue goes about her daily life trying to learn Girl things like walking on two legs and cooking until one day a hurricane begins to blow and Sue heroically employs both her alligator and her Girl knowledge to save the day.
Lengthy but rich is ideas and art it is a pleasant read for everyone.

-Mom

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outlandish story about a little girl who got swept away from her parents and their houseboat when a hurricane came upon them. She landed in an alligator's nest and was adopted by the mama. There she learned to live like an alligator. Funny with fun illustrations.

[Kitty Tomlinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the little Cajun girl who learned to be half alligator. Fun children's picture book.

[Cleyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how this book teaches the reader to just be yourself to the best of your abilities. The story was very funny and the illustrations were creative.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story about a girl named Sue who lives in the bayous of Louisiana on a house boat. One night there is a big storm and Sues house gets to rocking and her family loses track of Sue. When she awakes, she finds herself cuddled up next to an alligator. She things that this gator is sure going to eat her alive, but much to her dismay, the alligator takes her in and takes care of her while she is looking for her family. When she finds her family, her and the alligator celebrate in a big celebration with her parents.
This is a pretty cute story with great Louisiana slang, such as "the air grew heavier than a catfishes bath towel" and "the sun rose hotter than a cayenne pepper". I didn't like how much wording was on each page, I felt it was a little much, but the story was cute and simple.

[Hanim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a cute little story of a little girl in the bayou swamps of Louisiana...getting blown away by a hurricane she is raised by a mama gator and 30 other siblings. It has a good message for children on finding out who you are and to be true to yourself, but the words and language maybe hard for little readers to get through. It is fun to read if you throw in a cajun accent!
It is was a good read from the local library, but not one we would own; the pictures are cute to keep smaller children engaged (but there are 3 chapters, so it is just a bit more than a regular 12-15 pages easy reader).

[Bayou des Cannes Cajun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although my children are in 5th and 7th grade this book has never been
tucked away. From the very first read they were both hooked. I recommend reading this book in a very animated manner. My children were soon reading this book independently. This book can be independently read by most first and second graders provided the reader is functioning on grade level. The illustrations are wonderful. The story easily opens up the discussion of "What would you do if you found yourself alone?" We covered silly and serious aspects of that question. We own this book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really enjoying this "Jungle Book on the bayou" take- the language and illustrations are great, and even though it is a little lengthier than your average picture book, it definitely held the kids' attention. But I had to subtract a star at the end - why in the world does Sue not care about her parents? It bothered me that they disappeared and that was that for Sue's feelings for them.

[Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alligator Sue shares an interesting story. The book's cover is enticing and even though the story is very descriptive, the author leaves a lot of room for readers to make inferences about Sue. That said, I would have rated the book a 5 if the illustrations were not as crowded. Some ideals here would be inclusion/sense of belonging, enjoying some play time, and coping with a family breakup.

[Taylar Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be good for students that are in fifth grade and up. It's a little long, and a lot of the words said in the story were little difficult. Some of the words were even complicated for me to pronounce and read. It's a really good story though. It has a saddening beginning but has a happy ending. Telling about family and finding yourself.

[Carson Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book with fun flare illustrations that take you into the cajun lifestyle. A great way to introduce children into another culture in the U.S. I would like to use this in a classroom and involve the geography of the area, music, and history in this area.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations reminded me of Quentin Blake's in Roald Dahl's "The Enormous Crocodile"

[Hope L. Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the illustrations. It is very long for a picture book. It read's like a modern fairy tale. Very sweet and cute, but far too long.