had put a small mark in red for every foot so the children could see their progress. Razi stood there, his damp head making a spot on the wall.
The image of Razi waiting to be measured inspired Keisha. “Razi, that’s a great idea!”
Keisha handed Mama Razi’s towel and ran to find the phone. When Aaliyah picked up, Keisha could barely contain her excitement: “I think I know how we can make some money for the alligator sanctuary
and
educate people about not buying alligator babies
and
get some free advertising for Carters’ Urban Rescue,” she said, all in one breath. “I just don’t know how we’re going to market it.”
“Let me get my lemonade,” Aaliyah said, “and a piece of paper.”
* * *
The next morning, Daddy took Razi and the baby to the park because Keisha needed kids who colored inside the lines. Zeke and Zack and Aaliyah and Wen all volunteered. Grandma Alice found a copyright-free drawing of an alligator on the Internet, and Mama projected it on the wall. The children copied it onto a piece of butcher paper, which they then spread out on the kitchen table to make the Alligator Growth Chart, brought to you by Carters’ Urban Rescue.
Everyone began to color in the alligator. Grandma had to raid her own colored-pencil box to get enough greens.
From her research on the Internet, Aaliyah thought the poster should be three feet long and would hang between three and six feet from the floor. It’s at those heights that most kids want to know how fast they’re growing. This meant that the children only had room to picture the alligator from tummy to snout, but Mama said that was okay because children could imagine the rest.
“Perfect,” Mama said. “When they grow close to the top, they will be teenagers, and yet this is the size of a six-year-old alligator.”
“How are we going to copy this?” Aaliyah asked. “Do we have a budget? Color copies cost a lot of money.”
“Mr. Malone told Daddy he would help us out using the zoo’s big printer in the education office.”
Zeke stood back, examining their efforts. “Hmmm … it still needs something. How about if we say here: ‘You’re as high as an alligator eye’?”
“Good idea, but you have to print neat.”
“Let Wen do it. She’s got the best handwriting.”
They worked all morning, with only one
chin-chin
and pomegranate juice break.
It looked so real. Wen had even drawn in the scales.Admiring their artwork, Keisha said, “Now maybe people will think about it. Alligators get big just like little boys do.”
“And girls,” Aaliyah reminded Keisha.
“I’m so proud of all of you,” Mama said, brushing away the eraser crumbs. “Little by little, the bird builds its nest. Now maybe we have helped the poor alligators by showing others what a big job caring for a baby alligator can become.”
“It’s almost finished …” Keisha wasn’t sure what, but there was still something missing. She knew it was true that these big alligators were once so small, but it was hard to imagine that even Pumpkin-Petunia could have fit between the ends of a ruler as a baby.
“This alligator looks big, like the alligators you see in the zoo. But how would you know the cute little baby gator you’re thinking about buying is going to grow big like this?”
Daddy and Razi and the baby arrived home from the park, just as they were putting the finishing touches on the poster.
As soon as Razi saw them in the kitchen, he said, “Look what I got, everybody.” He was holding up one of the little airplanes they sold by the lemonade stands for a quarter. Razi launched his plane and it landed—
ping!
—onthe kitchen table. Everyone looked up at once, shifting the drawing.
“Razi!” the children cried out in unison. Razi stuck out his lip.
“I miss Pumpkin-Petunia,” he said. “I want an alligator to play with.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Razi.” Grandma had been trying to draw an alligator toenail. When the paper
The image of Razi waiting to be measured inspired Keisha. “Razi, that’s a great idea!”
Keisha handed Mama Razi’s towel and ran to find the phone. When Aaliyah picked up, Keisha could barely contain her excitement: “I think I know how we can make some money for the alligator sanctuary
and
educate people about not buying alligator babies
and
get some free advertising for Carters’ Urban Rescue,” she said, all in one breath. “I just don’t know how we’re going to market it.”
“Let me get my lemonade,” Aaliyah said, “and a piece of paper.”
* * *
The next morning, Daddy took Razi and the baby to the park because Keisha needed kids who colored inside the lines. Zeke and Zack and Aaliyah and Wen all volunteered. Grandma Alice found a copyright-free drawing of an alligator on the Internet, and Mama projected it on the wall. The children copied it onto a piece of butcher paper, which they then spread out on the kitchen table to make the Alligator Growth Chart, brought to you by Carters’ Urban Rescue.
Everyone began to color in the alligator. Grandma had to raid her own colored-pencil box to get enough greens.
From her research on the Internet, Aaliyah thought the poster should be three feet long and would hang between three and six feet from the floor. It’s at those heights that most kids want to know how fast they’re growing. This meant that the children only had room to picture the alligator from tummy to snout, but Mama said that was okay because children could imagine the rest.
“Perfect,” Mama said. “When they grow close to the top, they will be teenagers, and yet this is the size of a six-year-old alligator.”
“How are we going to copy this?” Aaliyah asked. “Do we have a budget? Color copies cost a lot of money.”
“Mr. Malone told Daddy he would help us out using the zoo’s big printer in the education office.”
Zeke stood back, examining their efforts. “Hmmm … it still needs something. How about if we say here: ‘You’re as high as an alligator eye’?”
“Good idea, but you have to print neat.”
“Let Wen do it. She’s got the best handwriting.”
They worked all morning, with only one
chin-chin
and pomegranate juice break.
It looked so real. Wen had even drawn in the scales.Admiring their artwork, Keisha said, “Now maybe people will think about it. Alligators get big just like little boys do.”
“And girls,” Aaliyah reminded Keisha.
“I’m so proud of all of you,” Mama said, brushing away the eraser crumbs. “Little by little, the bird builds its nest. Now maybe we have helped the poor alligators by showing others what a big job caring for a baby alligator can become.”
“It’s almost finished …” Keisha wasn’t sure what, but there was still something missing. She knew it was true that these big alligators were once so small, but it was hard to imagine that even Pumpkin-Petunia could have fit between the ends of a ruler as a baby.
“This alligator looks big, like the alligators you see in the zoo. But how would you know the cute little baby gator you’re thinking about buying is going to grow big like this?”
Daddy and Razi and the baby arrived home from the park, just as they were putting the finishing touches on the poster.
As soon as Razi saw them in the kitchen, he said, “Look what I got, everybody.” He was holding up one of the little airplanes they sold by the lemonade stands for a quarter. Razi launched his plane and it landed—
ping!
—onthe kitchen table. Everyone looked up at once, shifting the drawing.
“Razi!” the children cried out in unison. Razi stuck out his lip.
“I miss Pumpkin-Petunia,” he said. “I want an alligator to play with.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Razi.” Grandma had been trying to draw an alligator toenail. When the paper
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