Alligator Pie

Alligator Pie is a celebrated collection of children's poetry published in 1974 by Canadian author Dennis Lee, featuring illustrations by Frank Newfeld. The book contains 37 playful poems with distinctly Canadian references and settings. Lee wrote these verses over nine years, initially creating them for his own daughters who needed bedtime poems that reflected their Canadian experiences. The collection combines nonsense rhymes, skipping songs, and bedtime verses that incorporate local place names and cultural elements. The book earned the Canadian Library Association's Book of the Year award in 1975 and established Lee as "Canada's Father Goose." Theatre Passe Muraille has performed stage adaptations of the poems since their publication. The poems in Alligator Pie represent a significant contribution to Canadian children's literature, creating a uniquely national voice in nursery rhymes and establishing new traditions in family reading.

Readers describe this collection of children's poems as a Canadian classic that sticks in their memories decades after first hearing it. Parents and teachers report that children request these poems repeatedly, particularly enjoying the rhythm, rhyme patterns, and silly scenarios. Likes: - Memorable rhymes that children can recite - Canadian references and locations - Illustrations complement the text - Appeals to multiple age groups - Works well read aloud Dislikes: - Some poems feel dated with cultural references from the 1970s - A few readers note the collection is shorter than expected - Some find certain poems nonsensical without clear meaning Ratings: Goodreads: 4.17/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon.ca: 4.8/5 (90+ ratings) Common reader comment: "I memorized these poems as a child and can still recite them today." Several teachers mention using individual poems like "Alligator Pie" and "Willaby Wallaby Woo" as classroom favorites for teaching phonics and rhythm.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein This collection mixes humor and imagination through poems about peculiar characters and impossible scenarios, matching the playful spirit of Alligator Pie.

A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson The poems capture childhood experiences and daily observations through simple rhymes and rhythms that mirror Lee's accessible style.

The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky These poems use wordplay and rhythm to create humorous verses about creatures and situations that share Lee's sense of whimsy.

Now We Are Six by A. A. Milne The collection presents childhood moments through light verse and simple rhymes that reflect the same gentle humor found in Alligator Pie.

Mother Goose: A Canadian Collection by Sarah Harley This compilation incorporates Canadian places and cultural references into traditional nursery rhymes, similar to Lee's localization of children's verse.

🍁 Dennis Lee was appointed as Toronto's first Poet Laureate in 2001, serving in this prestigious role until 2004. 🎨 Illustrator Frank Newfeld revolutionized Canadian book design and received three medals from the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts for his work. 📚 The book "Alligator Pie" has sold over 400,000 copies since its initial publication in 1974, making it one of Canada's bestselling children's poetry collections. 🎭 In 2012, Soulpepper Theatre Company created a successful musical production of "Alligator Pie," featuring five actors who brought the poems to life through music and movement. 🌟 The poem "Alligator Pie" was inspired by traditional American skipping rhymes, but Lee deliberately replaced American references with Canadian ones to create a new national nursery classic.