Maria had this to say about why she liked the book:

This is a fun, regional tweaking of the well-known fable/tale “There Was An Old Woman Who Swallowed A Fly.” In addition to the gator, all the poor swallowed animals are from Florida.

David’s fun illustrations increase the humor of BJ’s rhyme. Especially the cut-away views of the animals all packed together inside the alligator. As with the original tale, the animals the gator swallows get increasingly outrageous, as the Old Gator tries to get rid of the moth.

Read the full interview here