Claude
Claude is a celebrity alligator and the mascot for San Francisco's California Academy of Sciences. His story started when he hatched out of his egg to discover he looked different from the other hatchlings, who didn’t like his differences. They were green and Claude was white. So he went to a special zoo that kept him safe, but he was alone.
When scientists at the California Academy of Sciences heard about him and asked the zoo if he could come and live in the Academy's swamp, he made the long journey to his new home with Bonnie, an alligator scientists hoped would be a friend for Claude.
Unfortunately, like Claude’s hatchlings, Bonnie didn't like Claude's differences, so she was moved to a new home, and then Claude was alone again—or was he?
With Bonnie gone, Claude noticed the five enormous snapping turtles who shared his swamp. The turtles didn't mind at all that Claude was different! And neither do the millions of people who visit him every year. They know that Claude's differences are exactly what makes him special.
Cuddle up with a toddler and share this special story that evokes empathy and shares the joy of finding friends who accept you just as you are.
Emma Bland Smith is a librarian and author of children's fiction and nonfiction. Her picture book debut, Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7, the Most Famous Wolf in the West, won the 2017 Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award for children's literature and the 2017 Cook Prize, which honours the best STEM picture book published for children aged eight to ten. Many of Emma's books feature real-life animals--wolves, dogs, pigs, and alligators. Emma lives in San Francisco with her family, which includes a dog and a cat (but no alligator). Visit her online at EmmaBSmith.com.
Jennifer M. Potter is an illustrator living in San Francisco. When she's not busy drawing, she loves visiting the city's many parks and museums with her husband. She has visited Claude many times, and is thrilled he agreed to let her draw him.