The illustrations in the Smithsonian's Backyard books are always good, but these are excellent even by their standards. Lori Anzalone has done a great job there, and I confess I was much more taken by the illustrations than anything else. Which is not a slight against the text - this would be an interesting little book even with different illustrations (especially for someone who, like me, lives in a place far from alligators). It's just the artwork is particularly appealing here.

I did not know that red-bellied turtles laid their eggs in alligator nests! Seems a risky strategy to me, but apparently it pays off...