In this atmospheric tale, a boy and his ailing grandfather pole a small boat out into the Louisiana bayou. When they suddenly come upon Boots, a female alligator the grandfather saved from poachers years ago, the boy wonders how he will face the danger in following his grandfather's wish: to care for this creature.

First-time author Ann Garrett has fashioned a scary but satisfying tale with a strong environmental message. Karen Chandler's vivid illustrations, using both oil painting and computer imaging, perfectly capture the beauty and loneliness of this remote place and those -- both the humans and the animals -- who inhabit it.