About this book

One night Kristen’s mom goes off to the hospital to have a baby. But Dad gets lost on the way, and ends up at the zoo instead. When they get home, Kristen takes one look at the baby and says, “That’s not my baby brother — it’s an alligator!” So the parents go off to the zoo to find their real baby. They bring back a baby seal, a baby gorilla — but no people baby. So Kristen has to go off to the zoo and fix things herself . . .

This was Robert Munsch’s first book with Scholastic Canada — now reissued with a bright new cover design!

Behind the scenes

In 1979, some friends of Robert Munsch were having a birthday party for their daughter, Kristen. Munsch had been Kristen’s teacher at nursery school and he volunteered to tell stories at her party. Since Kristen’s mom was going to have a baby, he made up a new story about how her mom and dad made a mistake, went to the zoo instead of the hospital, and brought home a baby alligator! Kristen liked the story so much that she wrote it all down and drew some pictures to make her own little book. Kristen says she likes the published version of the book — but she still thinks that her own illustrated version is better!

Reviews

"Refreshingly different from most ‘'new baby' stories." — School Library Journal

Praise for Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko

"Laurel and Hardy, Holmes and Watson, peanut butter and jam — some things just go better together. Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko figured that out a number of years ago, and have been teaming up to produce silly, insanely popular books ever since." —Quill & Quire

Praise for Robert Munsch

“[Munsch is] a kindergarten superstar he ranks up there with Pablum and Pampers in name recognition arguably the most published Canadian author ever, in any genre.” — The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Magazine

"Munsch's parade of bright funny picture books has been a sales phenomenon in children's book publishing . . . And as Munsch books are requested by kids over and over every day in countless homes and schools, at story time and bedtime, the distinctive storyteller's voice will undoubtedly continue to be echoed for years to come by parents, teachers, babysitters and whomever else young kids can get to read to them." — The Chronicle Herald

"Arguably the most successful kid-lit writer in North America." — Toronto Star

"More witty, creative and entertaining than most of what passes for adult literature." — The Globe and Mail

“Munsch is now as important to a whole generation of children as any television character. ”— Quill & Quire

Extras

Check out The World of Munsch for more books, a checklist and fun stuff!
Alligator Baby: Match the Baby