Review of Gator Gray Gets Away

[Haime Alshaef]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gator Gray Gets Away" by Heidi Brooks.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Every parent knows that the journey of their little one will be filled with surprises, laughs, chaos, and love. There will be so many firsts: their first smile, first word, first giggle, and first step. However, it seemed that Gator Gray didn’t want to take his first step! He crawled all around the house: under the bed, behind the sofa, and in his playroom. His parents hoped that he would stand up and walk, but the doctor said that it couldn’t be forced, and there was nothing to do but wait. Gator Gray Gets Away by Heidi Brooks and illustrated by Mark Nino Balita takes us on a wonderful adventure as Gator Gray’s parents try to get their son to take his first step! Will they be able to? Read on to find out!

I don’t have anything negative to say about this book at all. It was exceptionally well-edited, and the language was engaging. Every sentence rhymed with the next, and this made for a very fun experience. In addition, rhyming words also helped children recall the events that happened in the book and helped them memorize the words. I read this book to my 1-year-old niece, and she loved it. She could only speak a few words, and yet, after reading this book a couple of times to her, she picked up on the rhyming words and could even say them!

The colors and illustrations were perfect as well. Balita used a lot of neutral colors like beige and white, and that helped contrast against the brighter colors. This allowed children to focus on the images and stay engaged with the story instead of getting overstimulated by all the bright colors flashing at them from the pages. He also utilized a technique called white space, or negative space. This meant that the pictures didn’t dominate the entire page. Instead, they took up a small portion, leaving room for the text and a lot of empty space for the background. White space resulted in enhanced readability, sharper focus, and it guided a child’s eyes to the important parts of the page. If the pictures dominated the whole page, it would look like chaos to a child, and they could easily get overwhelmed and give up on the book altogether. White space allowed them to follow along with the story and enjoy it.

I would be happy to rate this book 5 out of 5 stars! I didn’t find any flaws or imperfections. The text, illustrations, and storyline were all perfect, and I believe that many children would love this book. I know my niece loved it! 

The writing is very simple and short, so I would recommend this to parents of toddlers. Toddlers are generally at the stage of significant growth, development, and language acquisition, and this book is a great way for them to gain a few of these skills. 

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Gator Gray Gets Away
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[Louis Donald]

The rhyming text and engaging illustrations sound like the perfect way to captivate toddlers and help them learn. It’s great that the use of white space makes it easy for young children to follow along without feeling overwhelmed. Sounds like a wonderful read for little ones.

[Shaniz Tobiaz]

The author did an amazing job, and your review is well organized. Thank you for this

[Pearl Flourish]

A sweet and thoughtfully designed story that makes learning fun for little ones. The rhyming text and smart use of illustrations sound like a perfect mix to keep toddlers engaged.