Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book)

Starred review from October 26, 2015
As the title makes clear, Snappsy, a skinny alligator who wears a pink tie, is not a happy camper. He is being trailed by an unseen narrator who alternates between drumming up drama (at one point accusing Snappsy of liking to “eat tiny, defenseless birds and soft, fuzzy bunnies,” even when it’s clear that mild-mannered Snappsy shops at the supermarket like everyone else) and falling down on the job. “You’re just describing what you see in the illustrations,” points out Snappsy. So who is this narrator, and what does she/he/it want? Meta-stories often have sour undertones—the joke is ultimately on somebody—but not this one. Snappsy is both highly civilized (he dons a fez while reading) and nobody’s fool, and the motivation of the narrator, when finally revealed, is almost touching. This is the first book for both Falatko and Miller, and it’s an excellent one—Falatko’s writing nimbly zigs and zags around Miller’s bold, goofy cartoons. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Danielle Smith, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Erica Rand Silverman, Sterling Lord Literistic.

Starred review from December 1, 2015
Picture Rita Skeeter as a chicken for a general sense of this book's goofy take on intrusive narration and one-sided reporting. The tale of Snappsy the alligator hits a snag from the start when his trip to the grocery store is interpreted with inaccurate (according to Snappsy) and increasingly nasty commentary. While the authoritative narrator presents Snappsy as a vicious predator, readers who look at the pictures and hear Snappsy's objections to this misrepresentation will see another side to the story. "Snappsy looked hungrily at the other shoppers," intones the narrator, while the illustration reveals the alligator mildly smiling and waving as he studies a jar of peanut butter. Eventually Snappsy decides to throw a house party, more to please the narrator by making the tale sound interesting than anything else. And who just happens to come knocking at the door in a party hat? None other than the narrator, ready for the chicken dance. What sets this apart from standard-issue picture-book metafiction is its commentary on selective reporting. Unreliable narration is normally the purview of the novel, but this picture book asks elementary-age readers to question the truth of what they're being told. Illustrator Miller's style is cartoonish, showing how background characters are initially swayed by the narrator's erroneous charges and then won over by Snappsy's charisma. More than merely meta, Snappsy is clearly a book, if not a protagonist, with bite. (Picture book. 4-7)

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February 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Snappsy the alligator finds himself in a book he doesn't want to be in. He leads a quiet, simple life, but the narrator (a chicken who likes to dance and throw parties) purposely misinterprets his every move. This is fun for readers but not for the main character. "This is terrible!" Snappsy says. "I'm just hungry! Why is this rude narrator trying to make it seem like I need a nap?" Falatko's debut book demonstrates the power of storytelling through words and pictures. The simple cartoon art is a hoot. The narrator's surprise appearance at the end helps Snappsy realize that it's good to have people in your life who push you out of your comfort zone every once in a while. VERDICT A fun read-aloud.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 15, 2015
Grades K-2 *Starred Review* If only Snappsy the alligator could write his own book! Instead, a narrator is telling the story all wrong. Snappsy's just hungrynot draggy and baggy. Why is this rude narrator trying to make it seem like I need a nap? the alligator complains. In spite of ongoing protests, the narrator continues to distort Snappsy's intentionsfor example, making him out to be a vicious predator when all he wants to do is shop for groceries. Oh, you are really cheesing me off, Snappsy snaps, putting a No Narrators Allowed! sign on his front door. When the narrator insists that the story is boring now, Snappsy feels pressured into throwing a party, since no amount of arguing will make the persistent narrator quit with the passive-aggressiveness. And lo and behold, such good fun is had by all that the narrator (revealed to be little brown turkey) asks herself over and concludes with one last bit of hopeful narration: They were really looking forward to Snappsy throwing parties like this every week. Falatko's debut picture book is a truly laugh-out-loud, mischievous romp, made gleefully goofier by Miller's straitlaced, deadpan animal characters. Don't dismiss this as fluff, either, for there are clever undertones about the pitfalls of exaggeration, misrepresentation, even appropriation. Well, that's Snappsy for youalways up to something.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2016
The omniscient narration begins normally enough: Snappsy the alligator wasn't feeling like himself. After a bit more in this vein, Snappsy turns to the reader: This is terrible!Why is this rude narrator trying to make it seem like I need a nap? So proceeds this book-length sparring match between the exasperated protagonist ( You're an awful narrator. You're just describing what you see in the illustrations ) and an offstage storyteller-foil who criticizes Snappsy ( The story is really boring now ), ignores his pleas to scram, and saddles him with unwanted idiosyncrasies, including a predilection for foods that begin with the letter P. The story's meta aspect, the alligator's rib-tickling madder-by-the-minute agitation, and the simple primary-color-avoidant illustrations outlined in black may all owe a debt to Mo Willemsbut it's still a pretty terrific book. It's distinguished by Falatko's ability to sustain the tension at length; by Miller's savory palette, largely in underripe greens and purples; and by the unvoiced suggestion that when fiction is working well, a character can take on a life of his or her own. nell beram

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