author/illustrator: Jarvis

Deep in the jungle lurks Alan the alligator, descended from a long line of very scary alligators. He prepares carefully—polishing his scales, brushing each of his big, scary teeth, and practicing his frightening faces—then sneaks into the jungle to terrorize the other critters. But after a long day of scaring, Alan loves to enjoy the crossword, run a warm mud bath . . . and take out his teeth, which nobody else knows are false. Until one morning, that is, when Alan wakes up and finds that his teeth are gone! Without those teeth, he’s just not very scary. And scaring is the only thing he knows how to do—or is it? Witty, charming, and playful storytelling in this 2017 Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book will have preschoolers cheering for Alan as he discovers a new way to fit in.