ALBERTO THE DANCING ALLIGATOR

Toilet humor of the most literal kind drives British author Waring's winning story. A tango-loving alligator named Alberto is accidentally flushed down the toilet by his devoted young owner/dance partner Tina. At first, Alberto loves life in "the world way below the city." Newcomer Swan shows Alberto blithely wending his way through a maze of water pipes, joining the sewer rats in water ballet, and then impressing them with his Olympics-worthy diving (they hold up score cards). But when Alberto decides to reverse his journey and return to Tina, he unwittingly wreaks havoc on city dwellers everywhere as he surfaces in one wrong toilet after another ("1,000 alligators on the loose, all bathrooms at risk!" read the newspaper headlines). Swan's comic strip–style frames build momentum until the joyful, tango-facilitated reunion of Tina and Alberto. This neat twist on the old urban legend of alligators lurking in the sewers should leave kids flush with laughter. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)