  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 12/01/2011 This sequel (imported from New Zealand) to Snake and Lizard further explores the relationship between the loquacious Lizard and no-nonsense Snake, reptile roommates. Having formed an alliance, Snake and Lizard help their animal clients and comically negotiate various issues. These include spiders (Lizard welcomes them as easy pickings, while Snake fears arachnids), eating methods (Lizard doesn’t think Snake shows enough appreciation for his gifts of stolen eggs when she swallows them whole), and the treatment of prospective clients (Snake eats a frog who’d come to them for help). The contrast and conflicts between dramatic Lizard and plain-speaking Snake and the vignette-like chapters, though longer and more text-focused, bring to mind Lobel’s Frog and Toad, and kids who loved that amphibious pair back in the primary grades will find this an equally enjoyable and more sophisticated friendship saga. Snake and Lizard’s adventures are appropriately rooted in their desert life, yet their concerns mirror relationship issues that middle-grade kids struggle with as well. While Snake and Lizard possess real individuality and depth, they are also frequently humorous, especially when trying to make sense of the human world that sometimes intrudes upon their habitat (they are amazed that humans shed their “skins” to bathe in the river and are convinced that a blue balloon is an egg from a reptilian sky god). Bishop’s frequent full-color line-and-watercolor illustrations, filled with sunset and desert hues, add further warmth and vibrancy to the text. JH - Copyright 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 12/01/2011 Gr 2–4—Unlikely friends Snake and Lizard are back in this story collection from New Zealand. The pair continue their adventures together, whether that means hunting for hard-to-get food, arguing over the fate of a spider living in their doorway, or continuing to provide "Helper" services to other animals. While some plotlines from Snake and Lizard (Kane/Miller, 2008) are brought up but not explained (such as the friends' role as "helpers"), for the most part, this book can stand alone. It includes more stories directly linked together, such as the selections about the attempts of the friends to put together a suitable memorial for Ear Bent, a rabbit killed while daring to take on the "monsters" that travel along the "River of Death." The book remains unflinchingly honest in its portrayal of the natural world. The matter-of-fact tone used to describe animals eating and being eaten, as well as descriptions of desert life, brings the setting to life for children. The thick, off-white pages and small illustrations in muted colors create a pleasant individual reading experience. With its more sophisticated subject matter, short chapters, and clever dialogue, it also make for a satisfying read-aloud.—Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City - Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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