This 1970s wordless picturebook is an excellent example of how pictorial humour can work, as each page provides new visual clues to the development of the plot.

Alligator is throwing a party and he has made some chocolate cakes for his guests. He is planning to cover them in sticky pink icing – but when he tastes the sweet mixture he gets a nasty shock. He has a terrible toothache!

Quickly Alligator wraps his mouth in a bandage to help the pain to go away, then goes to greet his guests.

First up is Monkey, who brings along a tray of delicious cherry-topped biscuits.

More animals arrive at the party, all with tempting sweet treats to offer. But Alligator is languishing on the sofa in pain and all his friends (except the pig who is busy eyeing up the delicious food) are concerned about him.

Suddenly Monkey has the bright idea to telephone the dentist.

The soft illustrations are pen and ink drawings with ‘pencil overlays prepared by the artist and printed in three colours’, as described in the front of the book.

The dentist – a little hedgehog maybe – duly arrives. But Alligator is too scared to see him and hides under the sofa.

Rejected, the dentist leaves. But, peeping back through the window, he realises the problem is not solved and knocks again.

This time the terrified Alligator simply slams the door shut in his face.

By now the animals are cross with Alligator, who is effectively spoiling his own party. But what to do next? Clever Monkey has another idea…

He goes outside and sneaks the dentist into the kitchen, where he hides him inside an enormous serving dish with a giant lid.

The serving dish is then carried into the living room, where a subdued Alligator is dozing on the sofa.

The dentist emerges from under the lid and – determined to succeed this time – removes Alligator’s bandage. Then he bravely reaches into Alligator’s mouth and pulls out the offending tooth.

Almost immediately, Alligator feels better. He generously invites the dentist to join the other animals and the party finally begins.

The greedy pig, who has been quietly stuffing himself throughout the drama, is now looking a little green and uncomfortable. But Alligator has learned his lesson and is sensibly avoiding eating anything sweet – especially the cakes with the sticky pink icing!

Diane deGroat is an award-winning illustrator of over 150 books. She has also written and illustrated the best-selling series about Gilbert, ‘everyone’s favorite opossum’. Alligator’s Toothache was one of her earliest titles.