Friends: Snake and Lizard

Snake and Lizard #2

by Joy Cowley

Two very different creatures learn about the give-and-take of friendship in this warm and funny story set in the desert. AWARDS: Junior Fiction finalist, NZ Post Children's Book Awards 2010; Children's Choice Junior Fiction category winner, NZ Post Children's Book Awards 2010; Storylines Notable Books List 2010; LIANZA Children's Book Awards fiction finalist 2010 Snake is elegant and calm, and a little self-centred; Lizard is exuberant and irrepressible. With its wisdom, acceptance and good humour, Friends: Snake and Lizard captures the essence of friendship. The stories are beautifully illustrated by Gavin Bishop in warm and clear colours of the desert.

Genres: Middle Grade, Friendship, Childrens, Animals

102 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2013

About the author

Cassia Joy Cowley is a New Zealand author best known for her children's fiction, including the popular series of books Mrs. Wishy-Washy.

Reviews

[CC. Thomas]

Wen I first ordered this book, I went off the information provided that it was for "primary" readers. This is most certainly not the case. The book would be a great read-aloud for primary-aged children, in bits and chapters. But an independent reader couldn't tackle the book until elementary school. It's a fairly lengthy chapter book.

The stories inside deal with the friendship of Snake and Lizard, who live in a desert and have not-so-remarkable adventures, which is not to say the book is boring. However, what is remarkable to a couple of cold-blooded desert dwellers is old hat to humans who have seen more of the world. Their naiveté is charming and the stories are cute, filled with fun. Many of them have valuable, but not preachy, lessons about friendship, how to treat others, lying, exaggeration, etc.

I believe this is the second in a series, but you won't suffer from confusion if you start with this one first. Overall, a sweet and funny read.

[David]

Friends Snake & Lizard by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop is a sequel to Snake and Lizard. This quirky chapter book for younger readers has 17 chapters about the two unlikely friends.

I have not read the first book in this series, but will go back and do so after reading this. I picked up the ARC for the American edition of this book at the 2011 ALA Conference.

The humorous, quirky story of two animal friends has a couple bloodthirsty aspects, but is full of humor. These two friends have plenty of squables, but remain friends. (As I read some of their arguments, I recalled a friend who always called any pair of people who were arguing "The Bickersons", after the old radio and TV program of the same name).
Occasionaly these fights got a little old, but the humor carried the tales along. The crazy deductions of the two, usually wrong, were funny and outlandish. I enjoyed the "Life Cycle" particularly. The word play in general was clever.

The watercolor illustrations of Gavin Bishop are very appealing and well matched to the tale. The illustrations of the book increased my rating. This could work as a read-aloud, particularly a chapter or two at night, or for young chapter book readers.

For readers 6 to 9, animals, lizards, snakes, friends, desert themes, and fans of Joy Cowley and Gavin Bishop.

[Vidya Tiru]

Friends: Snake and Lizard: Short stories that teach while being fun and without being preachy! These are perfect bedtime reads or classroom additions for young kids. The book teaches the food chain (very charmingly in the chapter aptly called ‘Life Cycle’), and also values of friendship and helping. The book is humorous, quirky, and a little macabre but still works well for children. Snake and Lizard are good friends in spite of the fact that they are different animals and snake is a girl while lizard is a boy. They are in the ‘helping’ business and how they help other animals many times over in this chapter book is funny and sweet. Each chapter can be read by itself and also has some continuity.
Readers will enjoy when the friends discover what the monsters on four round legs eat! And when they explain the ‘life-cycle’ (humorous and informative at the same time)

You can see examples of the word play and humor here from the book:
“The suspicions became so real in Lizard’s head, they were like memories”
" ‘What is the difference between a flea and a snake?’ - ‘A snake crawls on its own stomach.’"
"‘Is this story? Or is it true?’ ‘It is both, one hundred percent,’ said Lizard."

In Summary: Delightful word play and colorful illustrations make this book a wonderful read while teaching lessons of friendship and nature.
Rating: B+
Reading Level: Ages 7 to 10



Disclaimer:Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a digital review copy of this book. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist. They are my personal opinions formed when I read this book.

[Karen Arendt]

Friends: Snake and Lizard is a witty, intelligent story of two animals who are friends despite the natural food chain. In this volume, Snake and Lizard decide that they are helpers to all their animal friends. Snake and Lizard also try to best each other at everything. Using the natural tendencies of each animal to create humor (Snake is afraid of venomous spiders, but in the end, he eats the spider that creates a web in his doorway. Lizard looks ridiculous catching flies so Snake cannot stand to watch him. Snake wanders off but doesn't say anything to Lizard in an attempt to spare Lizard's feelings.) Cowley has created a subtle yet entertaining story of friendship. A great read for animal lovers, third grade and up.

[Julie]

I enjoyed this quirky chapter book for youngish readers. I especially liked the way the two main characters made informed deductions about the ways of the world from the evidence they saw - and were invariably wrong. That really appealed to my scientific training! Yet the book was not didactic in any way. It was fun, with great stories in each chapter, but with a common thread running throughout. There was lovely word play too. A very clever, entertaining book.

[Nicole]

Enjoyable for adults and children alike. A modern day Frog and Toad, but the vocabulary is more advanced. This is a book second and third graders can read aloud with help. It would fit perfectly in a desert unit in History/Geography or life cycle or food chain in Science. Added bonuses are character development in standing up to bullies and being "helpers." I am happy to have found this book

[Sue Poduska]

Remember Frog and Toad? Now we have Snake and Lizard, and they are just as entertaining. The story follows Snake and Lizard as they share an oversized burrow in the desert as a result of a collapsed wall. Of course, they have very different needs and very different ways of looking at things. Delightfully humorous!

[Drew]

I love these two! Unlikely friends Snake and Lizard continue their Helping business and have lots of adventures, but there was something missing from this that prevented me from enjoying it as much as the first book.

[Anna]

I liked this but not nearly as much as the original Snake & Lizard. No story line quite as good as the quail eggs! I still love the river of death though (the road).

[B]

rating 3.5
good but not as funny as the first
Had many touching "Friendship moments"

[Rachel Horwell]

A nice gentle read.
Some fun use of language and fun pictures

Lizard and snake enjoyed their morning rambles which they called withers. "walk" Lizard once suggested.
"I don't walk" snake reminded him, "I was made to slither"
Wither - a word that served both of them.

Finding a "life cycle"

A rabbit called Earbent.
He tried to stop a monter on the River of Death.

[Rachel (Sfogs)]

Cute stories!

[Vincent Konrad]

not quite as good as the first, partly because it follows more of a long narrative arc rather than short vignettes