I Need a Snake

by Lynne Jonell

Through charmingly simple cartoons, the creators of Mommy Go Away! follows a little boy's unyielding determination to acquire a pet snake, as he hits on a clever solution that convinces his mommy that snakes can very accommodating guests.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Lynne Jonell is an author (and occasional illustrator) of sixteen books for children, from picture books to novels for ages 8-12, all with an element of fantasy: magical hamsters, talking cats, tiny planes with a secret fuel, rodents with special powers, and more. Her novel Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat won the Minnesota Book Award; her latest book, The Sign of the Cat, is a swashbuckling sea adventure. Coming in 2018 is Far Sight, Deep Time, a time-travel novel set at her ancestral castle in Scotland.

Her books have received starred reviews in Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Sesame Street Parents, and have been published in nine languages. She teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center, is married and has two sons, and lives in Plymouth, Minnesota.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/lynnej...

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, engaging story, with bright and appealing illustrations. I think most kids will enjoy it.

It’s a wonderful story about imaginative play.

It’s also a great story for kids who want a pet. I was impressed with the mother’s various ideas of how to satisfy her child’s wish without giving into it. I was also relieved by the resolution.

I was not thrilled with the inclusion of a pet store, but that’s a relatively minor quibble in this case.

This book is charming and funny and will appeal to all ages.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book about learning about a new kind of animal and the power of using one's imagination.

Robbie wants to have a snake for a pet, but his mom won't let him. He learns more about snakes with his mom at a museum and a pet store, and in the end finds a way to have a pet that his mom finds suitable.

The narrative is very short and the illustrations are colorful and cartoonish. The drawings are a bit rudimentary for my taste, but are likely to appeal to young children.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all of the animals that appeal to young kids, snakes and other reptiles are one of the least well-suited as a first pet. These animals require highly specialized diets, housing, and temperature levels, and too much handling stresses many species. And then there are the salmonella concerns. The cages are expensive, whereas the animals themselves are relatively cheap—meaning that many kids cycle through numerous reptiles who die long before their time.

The author of I Need a Snake! recognizes just how appealing certain pets can be for kids—Robbie in the story doesn’t just WANT a pet snake, he’s convinced he NEEDS one. His mom is willing to take Robbie to museums and pet stores where he can SEE snakes, but she knows she won’t tolerate on inside her home. Although this disappoints Robbie, he discovers that by using his imagination, he can discover many exotic and dangerous “snakes” around his home—a shoestring, a jump rope, and a belt.

I love this book because it is so unique—not only is a celebration of a child’s imagination, it advances the wise idea that it’s not always the right time to get a new pet—even if you REALLY like them. It suggests the alternative of imagination and play instead of bringing an animal into a home in which it may not be appreciated by all family members. That’s something that the animal welfare community can certainly get behind.

The illustrations in I need a Snake! are done in a primitive, childlike way. However, the artist does manage to insert quite a bit of humor into most of them---such as the image of a snake popping out of a storm drain to scare two people.

[Dabeinchoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has simple but really eye catching illustration. This book well used children's imagination that changed belt, jump-rope and shoelace into beautiful snakes. I kept smiling reading this book. I can feel the innocence of kids. I'm also touched by the mother's behavior that respect the kids. Going to museum, going to pet shop to fulfill kid's curiosity. After reading this book with kids, we can talk about which stuff looks different to kids' eyes.

[Maria Andrade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robbie is left captivated by the beauty and thrill of snakes. Though his mother says snakes our dangers, Robbie insists that that is untrue and keeps asking for a snake as a pet. When he does not get what he wants, Robbie uses his imagination by using his mother’s shoelace and father’s belt as it were a real life snake. Though this process Robbie learns the reality of how it would be managing a snake as a pet, and gains new knowledge of ways to train first time pets. I would recommend this book to kindergartners as it shows them to take responsibility and make thorough decisions before making any hasty assumptions. The colorful illustrations of the characters and items in the book will definitely capture the attention of young readers through the simplistic use of crayons and stick figures captured in each drawing.

[Felicity The Magnificent · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Robbie had toys and books and he didn't have a snake. He wanted a snake now. Robbie asked his mom and his mom said, "They are too scary and dangerous." But Robbie said that's why he wanted the snake. They read a book about snakes. On the next day, they went to the museum to see make-believe snakes. Then he looked at real snakes. He found one, but his mom didn't let him have it. Robbie found two snakes, and then, both of them had one as a pet. I liked this book because it was a funny book. -by Felicity

[Rocheal Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely! This books is imaginative, clever, and sweet. Robbie's mommy is unwilling to allow Robbie to welcome his dream pet into their home, so Robbie explores the house in search of imagination snakes; each one with its own personality. This book mentions stuffed snakes at museums, snakes that squeeze, and snakes that are venomous with flicking tongues. Perfect for investigating why snakes flick their tongues and answer the book's inquiry of why snakes swallow the heads of mice first.
Love it!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this because children at this age seem to "need" lots of things! My 3 year old tried to convince his Grammie the other day that she should read him a book about snakes so this book was especially funny considering that because she doesn't like snakes and he told her he'd cover up the snakes while they read. LOL. Fun, simple drawings. I liked what it shows about children's imagination and creativity.

[Whitney Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robbie, like lots of other little boys, desires a pet snake. However, his mother will not let him bring a snake into the house. Robbie is able to visit museums, read books and watch shows about snakes. This is not good enough though and he wants his own. In order to not upset his mother, Robbie finds ways to have a snake that will not bother her. He imagines a pet snake when he sees household objects such as, jump ropes and belts. His creativity keeps him happy as well as his sweet mother.

[Dana Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book to illustrate using creativity through imaginary play. After reading this book,the students could make their own imaginary pets using construction paper, tissue paper, glue and glitter.

This book could also be used for learning about reptiles.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending kinda confused my storyhour kids. I don't know if I would use it again.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book very much, and it went over great at storytime!

[Lisa Anderson]

Cute book especially for boys.

[Lisa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book should be in your student library.

[Michelle Farella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the mother in this book.