Nobody likes to say goodbye to people they love, and Chuck and Julie Smith’s young granddaughter was no exception. At the end of each visit, when it was time to say farewell to her grandparents, the little girl was always in tears.
One Day, on a whim, Chuck came up with what he calls the “See Ya Later Alligator Game”. As giggles lit up his granddaughter’s face, Chuck knew he’d hit on something to take the sadness out of saying goodbye.
When additional grandchildren came along, the game expanded. The goodbye ritual that began with “See Ya Later Alligator” soon included “Same Place, Monkey Face”, “With a Laugh, Tall Giraffe”, and “in a Lake, Water Snake”.
Eventually, Chuck decided to turn these fun rhymes into a book that other families could enjoy. He collaborated with artist Heather Theurer, who created cheerful, full-color illustrations to accompany the rhymes, and “See Ya Later Alligator” was officially born.
Chuck comments, “I made up many of the rhymes with my granddaughters, and they really thought it was a fun game to play when they were leaving our house. I figured that if they enjoyed it so much, other kids – and grandparents – might as well.”
For more information or to request review copies or media commentary, email chuck(at)getawaytoday(dot)com or visit http://www.seeyalaterbooks.com.
See Ya Later Alligator by Chuck Smith; GAT Merchandising; Children’s picture book/Family relations; Paperback; 978-0-9837584-0-2; $7.99
Availability: http://www.amazon.com and http://www.seeyalaterbooks.com
Author: Chuck Smith, Get Away Today, graduated from Brigham Young University in 1978 with a BA in broadcast journalism. He worked as a reporter, producer, and anchor at ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates in the western U.S. In 1990, he and his wife Julie Smith started a travel company called Get Away Today that sends thousands of families to Disneyland “and beyond” each year. He and Julie live in Ogden, Utah, and have eight grandchildren and counting.
Contact: Chuck Smith
1650 E. 5700 S., Ogden, UT 84403
801-479-2706 (phone)
801-476-1309 (fax)
chuck@getawaytoday.com
http://www.seeyalaterbooks.com
