Alligator Mike

"New York is a mysterious city, and that's just above ground. Things are even stranger in the tangle of sewers under the street..." SO begins young Mike's tale of his Oz- or Wonderland- trip down a trashcan to the underbelly of New York City. There, he meets an unusual balloon-bodied creature by the sewer, who introduces Mike to four other oddly shaped friends. They quickly ask Mike to help them with two rival alligator factions, brought from Florida to New York by tourists, and now competing for "stale bagels and muffins" and the best sleeping spots by the sewer. Fortunately, jewels and money are not as scarce as bagels, and the 330 alligators pool their money, drop their rivalry, and buy passage back to swampy Florida, courtesy of Mike's Uncle, who happens to own a shipping company. There are a few too many coincidences, even for a fantasy, and author Jurg Federspiel never really incorporates the balloon creature's friends into the story. Still, Petra Rappa's rich watercolors and background washes are delightful, especially in her above ground evocations of New York City. I would have preferred that the sewers looked more sewer-like--full of mysterious pipes and passageways--but this might have been too complex for the very youngest of the intended audience. Overall, "Alligator Mike" is an interesting trip that makes unseen places seem ore friendly and familiar, and young toddlers may find it fascinating.