Gator on the Loose!

April 26, 2010
Stauffacher’s (Donutheart) Animal Rescue Team series opens with a slightly overwritten story introducing a Michigan family that runs a wildlife rehabilitation service. After 10-year-old Keisha Carter; her younger brother, Razi; and their father and grandmother rescue an alligator that has wandered into the city pool, the creature escapes from the family’s bathtub (where they’ve placed it for safekeeping), necessitating a second rescue. Called upon to evaluate the gator’s condition, a zoo employee helps deliver the moral: alligators don’t make suitable pets and often can’t survive when released into the wild by their owners. Keisha is a virtual encyclopedia of facts about alligators and other animals, and the sheer chaos of the Carter family’s multiracial household—with friends and neighbors constantly popping in—keeps the story moving. The environmental message, though, is delivered with a somewhat heavy hand, and the humor—largely generated by unconvincingly eccentric Grandma (who’s obsessed with fashion and looking young) and grating chatterbox Razi—can feel forced, though animal lovers are unlikely to mind. The series continues in July with Special Delivery! Ages 8–10.

August 1, 2010

Gr 4-6-These stories detail the exploits of 10-year-old Keisha Carter's family as wildlife rehabilitators in Michigan. In the first title, they rescue a wandering alligator from the city pool. The creature gets lost one more time, and a frantic search ensues before it is finally transported to an alligator sanctuary. In Special Delivery, they rescue a wayward skunk, a baby crow, and an injured dog. Though the cast of animal characters is different in each book, certain themes persist. Readers will learn that it is important to treat wildlife appropriately and that each animal is different in terms of how one should interact with it. Another mainstay is the abundance of cozy, safe family moments, and the fact that each scenario draws to a realistic-yet gentle-conclusion. Cheerful cartoon illustrations highlight the overall snug and secure feeling. The books don't necessarily challenge readers emotionally, but they are solid nonetheless and will find an audience with animal lovers and those who enjoy mellow realistic fiction.-Amy Holland, Hamlin Public Library, Rochester, NY

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2010
Grades 4-6 This first volume in Animal Rescue Team, a new series for middle-grade readers, introduces Carters Urban Rescue, a family business that specializes in rescuing wild animals from a Michigan neighborhood. In their debut adventure, the mixed-race Carters remove an alligator from a city swimming pool and try to find a suitable home for the critter. The mother, Fayola, and the baby, Paulo, take secondary roles, and Grandma Alice and little Razzi are more often accidentally helpful than productively so. Keisha, 10, and her dad, Fred, are the brains behind the operation. Teamwork and competency emerge as major themes, as Keisha and her father channel the often well-meaning energy of friends and family to help to keep the team on track and the animals safely dispatched to a suitable environment. The author works information about alligators naturally into the text and peoples her book with animal-welfare members from her own community. Situational comedy, appealing spot art, and a personable protagonist will give this series broad appeal. The second series installment, Special Delivery, is being released simultaneously.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
Ten-year-old Keisha's family runs an urban animal rescue shelter. When a two-year-old alligator is found in the local pool, Keisha and her father use their knowledge of reptile behavior to catch her. The characters, especially Keisha's Nigerian-born mom, are richly described, and lots of facts are peppered throughout the story.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)