Parents' Guide to Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator!

Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Michelle Hong By Michelle Hong , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 4+

Heartwarming look at surprises and friendship.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 4+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 4+

Based on 1 parent review

age 4+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

HOORAY FOR AMANDA AND HER ALLIGATOR! is a book of six and a half lighthearted stories about a little girl and her impatient, sometimes bored stuffed toy alligator. The stories build on each other, and teach kids about friendship and different kinds of surprises. Amanda surprises her alligator with books. But sometimes Alligator surprises Amanda by eating them. And when she brings home a new stuffed panda from a zoo visit to be their friend, Alligator must deal with how it makes him feel.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say ( 1 ):

Navigating friendships can be tricky for children, and this delightful book guides kids to cultivate honest and true friendships. The writing is simple but clever, engaging and humorous, and the cartoon-like illustrations set against stark white backgrounds are irresistibly cute.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how surprises can come in many forms. Have you had any surprises recently?

  • True friends are honest with each other. Would you always be honest with your friend, even if it's sometimes hard to be?

  • Sometimes friends come from unexpected places, even when you're not looking for one. Where was the last place you made a new friend?

Book Details

  • Author : Mo Willems
  • Illustrator : Mo Willems
  • Genre : Picture Book
  • Book type : Fiction
  • Publisher : Balzer + Bray
  • Publication date : April 26, 2011
  • Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
  • Number of pages : 72
  • Last updated : July 13, 2017

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! Poster Image

What to Read Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate