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The Salamander Room
A boy finds a salamander in the woods and imagines the many things he can do to turn his room into a perfect salamander home. Together, Anne Mazer and Steve Johnson have created a woodland paradise that any salamander would love to share with a child.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 16, 1991
9 people are currently reading
945 people want to read
About the author
Anne Mazer
73 books102 followersQuite a lot of Anne Mazer’s writing education took place while she was unconscious. Her parents wanted desperately to become writers and made themselves get up at 4:00 a.m. Every morning in order to have writing time before their three young children awoke. The first thing Anne heard every day was two big, noisy electric typewriters. The furious sound of typing was her childhood wake-up music. During the day, her parents endlessly discussed ideas, plot, and character, and before she was seven years old, Anne knew about revisions, first and second drafts, and rejection slips. It was like growing up in a twenty four hour, seven day a week writer’s boot camp.
In order to escape from her parents’ obsession with writing, Anne turned to books. She was an avid reader from an early age and credits her love of reading for her writing career. Her favorite works were fantasy, fairy tales, historical fiction, humor, realistic fiction, and adventure. Her other interests were language, art, history, and science. At the age of twelve, she wanted to be an actress, a ballerina and a nuclear physicist. These careers were rapidly eliminated as she realized that a) she couldn’t dance, b) she couldn’t act; and c) she hated math.
Although at the time Anne thought writing was nothing but a nuisance, she now considers herself very lucky to have grown up with two aspiring writers. She learned a lot about discipline, perseverance and dedication to a craft from witnessing her parents’ struggle. They eventually became successful and award-winning young adult novelists.
It took Anne a long time to figure out that she, too, wanted to be a writer. During early adulthood, she worked as an au pair, a bank teller, a pill bottle labeler, a receptionist, an English tutor, and an administrative assistant, as well as other jobs that she was ill-suited for. She attended three universities, spent several years in Paris, traveled throughout Europe, and worked in Boston and New York City.
Anne’s “eureka” moment about writing came while she prepared a research report for one of her bosses. As she lovingly polished each sentence, and meticulously organized the paragraphs, she realized that no one really cared how beautifully she wrote about the latest models of air-conditioners. Except her, of course.
Using her parents’ model of daily writing and discipline, she began to write. It took her seven years to publish her first book, a picture book inspired by her then two year old son, Max.
Anne is the mother of an adult son and daughter. Over the last twenty years, she has written over forty-five books for young readers. She has enough ideas to last for another quarter century and hopes that she will be writing for a very long time.
Fun Facts About Anne Mazer
Her favorite foods are popcorn, rice pudding and blueberries.
When she was a kid, she would sometimes read up to ten books a day.
If she had magic powers, she'd choose invisibility.
She painted the rooms in her house yellow, orange, and violet.
One of her favorite childhood books was The Twilight of Magic, by Hugh Lofting.
When Anne was a teenager, her room was so messy that she needed a map to get from the door to the bed. (sort of)
In school Anne often flunked her favorite creative subjects, like writing and art.
In order to escape from her parents’ obsession with writing, Anne turned to books. She was an avid reader from an early age and credits her love of reading for her writing career. Her favorite works were fantasy, fairy tales, historical fiction, humor, realistic fiction, and adventure. Her other interests were language, art, history, and science. At the age of twelve, she wanted to be an actress, a ballerina and a nuclear physicist. These careers were rapidly eliminated as she realized that a) she couldn’t dance, b) she couldn’t act; and c) she hated math.
Although at the time Anne thought writing was nothing but a nuisance, she now considers herself very lucky to have grown up with two aspiring writers. She learned a lot about discipline, perseverance and dedication to a craft from witnessing her parents’ struggle. They eventually became successful and award-winning young adult novelists.
It took Anne a long time to figure out that she, too, wanted to be a writer. During early adulthood, she worked as an au pair, a bank teller, a pill bottle labeler, a receptionist, an English tutor, and an administrative assistant, as well as other jobs that she was ill-suited for. She attended three universities, spent several years in Paris, traveled throughout Europe, and worked in Boston and New York City.
Anne’s “eureka” moment about writing came while she prepared a research report for one of her bosses. As she lovingly polished each sentence, and meticulously organized the paragraphs, she realized that no one really cared how beautifully she wrote about the latest models of air-conditioners. Except her, of course.
Using her parents’ model of daily writing and discipline, she began to write. It took her seven years to publish her first book, a picture book inspired by her then two year old son, Max.
Anne is the mother of an adult son and daughter. Over the last twenty years, she has written over forty-five books for young readers. She has enough ideas to last for another quarter century and hopes that she will be writing for a very long time.
Fun Facts About Anne Mazer
Her favorite foods are popcorn, rice pudding and blueberries.
When she was a kid, she would sometimes read up to ten books a day.
If she had magic powers, she'd choose invisibility.
She painted the rooms in her house yellow, orange, and violet.
One of her favorite childhood books was The Twilight of Magic, by Hugh Lofting.
When Anne was a teenager, her room was so messy that she needed a map to get from the door to the bed. (sort of)
In school Anne often flunked her favorite creative subjects, like writing and art.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
September 13, 2025
Joe and I headed out early this morning to Colonel Denning State Park to spot the bald eagle that comes to the lake. Sadly, we weren't early enough to catch him but we did enjoy reading The Salamander Room while we walked along the Nature Trail.
Our local parks execute wonderful Storywalk programs for their visitors. Pages from children's books are laminated and displayed with signage along a walking path to provide a fun and family-friendly activity that fosters both physical activity and literacy. The stories are usually about nature and science.
In Mazer's book, Brian finds a salamander and wants to bring it home to his bedroom to live with him. Brian's mother asks several questions of him of how he will create a good and healthy living environment indoors for the salamander. Their exchanges teach young readers about habitat and how special it's care and management need to be for wildlife to thrive. It's an endearing story and fully illustrated with lovely jewel toned colors.
Our local parks execute wonderful Storywalk programs for their visitors. Pages from children's books are laminated and displayed with signage along a walking path to provide a fun and family-friendly activity that fosters both physical activity and literacy. The stories are usually about nature and science.
In Mazer's book, Brian finds a salamander and wants to bring it home to his bedroom to live with him. Brian's mother asks several questions of him of how he will create a good and healthy living environment indoors for the salamander. Their exchanges teach young readers about habitat and how special it's care and management need to be for wildlife to thrive. It's an endearing story and fully illustrated with lovely jewel toned colors.
February 14, 2011
Ha! My adult mind had me befuddled. I was expecting a different ending, and perhaps I’d have preferred a different ending. Yet, this book is practically perfect in every way.
A young boy finds a salamander in the wild and wants to keep him. He has answers to every question posed to him by his mother about how he will create the perfect environment for the salamander, and for himself too. The story does a good job of showing the interconnectedness of various animal and plant life in an ecosystem. This story is whimsical and funny and sweet. The boy’s imagination and caring is wonderful.
The illustrations are gorgeous, really special. The habitat gets more and more elaborate as more concerns need to be addressed. I can’t say enough good things about the pictures.
I think the final design of the salamander’s room will make clear to kids the feasibility of keeping a salamander as an indoor animal companion; I don’t think any extra major educational endeavor is necessary, but this book could act as a springboard for such a discussion.
I always hate to say this, but in this case it’s so true: This is a book that’s great for both boys and girls, but is one likely to be enjoyed by boys who turn up their noses at many other books.
A young boy finds a salamander in the wild and wants to keep him. He has answers to every question posed to him by his mother about how he will create the perfect environment for the salamander, and for himself too. The story does a good job of showing the interconnectedness of various animal and plant life in an ecosystem. This story is whimsical and funny and sweet. The boy’s imagination and caring is wonderful.
The illustrations are gorgeous, really special. The habitat gets more and more elaborate as more concerns need to be addressed. I can’t say enough good things about the pictures.
I think the final design of the salamander’s room will make clear to kids the feasibility of keeping a salamander as an indoor animal companion; I don’t think any extra major educational endeavor is necessary, but this book could act as a springboard for such a discussion.
I always hate to say this, but in this case it’s so true: This is a book that’s great for both boys and girls, but is one likely to be enjoyed by boys who turn up their noses at many other books.
March 20, 2009
What a great concept! I love how the story grows with the little boy's imagination, how the mother carefully weaves "reality" into the boy's perceptions of taking care of a captured salamander--the story and beautiful illustrations do a great job showing nature, habitats and the food chain while also illustrating a boy's sense of wonder, imagination and real desire to care for his dear little salamander.
I also like that it's left up to the audience whether they want to condone or condemn taking creatures (however small) from the wild into captivity. The story simply shows the little boy's innocence in how he wants to take care of a beautiful creature that he found--something that I think all kids can relate to!
I also like that it's left up to the audience whether they want to condone or condemn taking creatures (however small) from the wild into captivity. The story simply shows the little boy's innocence in how he wants to take care of a beautiful creature that he found--something that I think all kids can relate to!
December 30, 2019
In this deceptively simple picture-book, young Brian finds an orange salamander in the woods, and brings him home. Brian's mother wonders how the salamander will live in his room, and a lovely dialogue develops, as Brian describes the many changes he will make, in order to create a habitable environment for his new friend...
The Salamander Room is an excellent little title, ideal for teaching children about the habitat needs of other species, and would probably also function very well as an explanation at to why some species should not be kept as pets. The illustrations have a quiet and luminous quality that is very appealing. I do find it odd that every on-line picture of this title that I come across shows an image in which both Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher are credited as illustrators, when my copy simply gives Steven Johnson's name. The title page does mention Fancher, crediting him with the "design" of the book... Very odd.
However that may be, I am happy to have discovered this visually appealing title, suitable for young nature lovers.
The Salamander Room is an excellent little title, ideal for teaching children about the habitat needs of other species, and would probably also function very well as an explanation at to why some species should not be kept as pets. The illustrations have a quiet and luminous quality that is very appealing. I do find it odd that every on-line picture of this title that I come across shows an image in which both Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher are credited as illustrators, when my copy simply gives Steven Johnson's name. The title page does mention Fancher, crediting him with the "design" of the book... Very odd.
However that may be, I am happy to have discovered this visually appealing title, suitable for young nature lovers.
July 19, 2008
I can't count the number of times I read this aloud to my usually story-phobic kid. He preferred field guides to narratives, but would always sit still for this lovely, quiet story of a boy who loved salamanders so much he would remodel his room for their comfort. I love this book with all my heart.
March 2, 2025
Amazing picture book ever!
October 17, 2013
Salamander Room is a story of a little boy who finds a wild salamander and brings him home to live as a pet. As his mother questions him on how he will care for his new friend, his room slowly begins to transform and take on wildlife qualities.
The first thing I noticed when I began the story was the insects. There is a small blue and gold beetle sitting in a pile of green leaves on the title page, the dedication page has a Monarch butterfly, and on the second opening there are three crickets sitting on the boy's nightstand. In fact I counted 64 insects and spiders throughout the whole book. I am a "bug person" so that peaked my interest right away and made me want to read more. I think the insects were important to the story because they begin the chain of events that occur. The boy finds the salamander, he brings crickets to sing him to sleep, he brings leaves and friends for the salamander, they need to eat so he collects insects, the insects will multiply, so he finds birds and frogs to eat the extras, the roof is removed to free the birds (who will return to the house to eat more insects), trees grow and his room transforms into a forest, and the story ends with the boy sleeping in his bed under the stars with the crickets singing him to sleep. I like the "circle of life" aspect that the insects bring to the story.
One of the messages I found from the story was that wildlife belongs outside in the wild. As the boy talked through his plan of creating a home inside his home for the salamander, he realized that what the lizard truly needed was like in the wild. As his realizations became true, his own bedroom and house began to transform into a forest like the one where he found the salamander. At the start of the story, the salamander was inside the boy's home and at the end the boy was inside the salamander's home.
The first thing I noticed when I began the story was the insects. There is a small blue and gold beetle sitting in a pile of green leaves on the title page, the dedication page has a Monarch butterfly, and on the second opening there are three crickets sitting on the boy's nightstand. In fact I counted 64 insects and spiders throughout the whole book. I am a "bug person" so that peaked my interest right away and made me want to read more. I think the insects were important to the story because they begin the chain of events that occur. The boy finds the salamander, he brings crickets to sing him to sleep, he brings leaves and friends for the salamander, they need to eat so he collects insects, the insects will multiply, so he finds birds and frogs to eat the extras, the roof is removed to free the birds (who will return to the house to eat more insects), trees grow and his room transforms into a forest, and the story ends with the boy sleeping in his bed under the stars with the crickets singing him to sleep. I like the "circle of life" aspect that the insects bring to the story.
One of the messages I found from the story was that wildlife belongs outside in the wild. As the boy talked through his plan of creating a home inside his home for the salamander, he realized that what the lizard truly needed was like in the wild. As his realizations became true, his own bedroom and house began to transform into a forest like the one where he found the salamander. At the start of the story, the salamander was inside the boy's home and at the end the boy was inside the salamander's home.
October 5, 2018
For young animal lovers, nothing is as strange and upsetting as the early lesson learned that wild things must stay in the wild; that you are not a field biologist, a zoologist, and that your room is not the ideal place for that bird you heard, or the baby rabbits in the yard, or the salamander that you found in the woods.
The book follows a boy through his imaginings of all the things he could do to his room to make it a good place for his new little friend to live in, but as he keeps going on, he realizes that this newly-renovated room would look like the forest, and while the salamander would be just at home in it, he would not be. Bittersweet, kind, and thoughtful.
The book follows a boy through his imaginings of all the things he could do to his room to make it a good place for his new little friend to live in, but as he keeps going on, he realizes that this newly-renovated room would look like the forest, and while the salamander would be just at home in it, he would not be. Bittersweet, kind, and thoughtful.
August 11, 2009
This simple conversation book between mother and son about how this boy would take care of a salamander he brings to his room was unexpectedly enchanting for my 7 yr old.
Lush illustrations allow you to see right into this boy's head which is lead by imagination and not barred by the gently questioning of his mother's practicality.
Lush illustrations allow you to see right into this boy's head which is lead by imagination and not barred by the gently questioning of his mother's practicality.
August 31, 2019
I prefer this to Sendak's, Where the Wild Things Are. In both stories, boys dream, launching from their own rooms into another world.
Neither story caught the imagination of our kids. I like the idea of imagining what it might be like to make a home for a salamander. Maybe the kids never took a liking to the salamander ... I don't know.
Neither story caught the imagination of our kids. I like the idea of imagining what it might be like to make a home for a salamander. Maybe the kids never took a liking to the salamander ... I don't know.
April 18, 2021
Beautiful descriptions in this book. Would be a great way to introduce the concepts of habitat and environment.
October 2, 2024
Perfect for my little boy who loves all things reptiles and amphibians
August 30, 2025
I love the frog
September 17, 2019
Good book to teach some basics about how many things in nature depend upon each other, e.g. in the sense of the food chain and much more.
Liked the illustrations a lot.
Liked the illustrations a lot.
October 16, 2013
The Salamander Room is a simple and engaging story about a child’s imagination. While exploring the woods, young Brian discovers a little orange salamander underneath some leaves. To his mother chagrin, he brings the salamander home. The story proceeds in a question and answer fashion, with the mother asking questions about the salamander’s care, and Brian coming up with more and more creative ways to take care of the salamander. From spreading wet leaves on the ground to removing the ceiling to allow the sun into the room, Brian’s answers escalate in originality. This continues apace until Brian (and presumably the salamander) fall asleep.
This book is one where the pictures and the text work in harmony to create a dream-like quality. From the onset, the green endpapers are a soft, diluted green rather a punchy, vibrant color. Both the title and dedication pages feature images (a stack of leaves and a butterfly respectively), complete with shadows. The images are soft, lacking defined lines, and the grey shadows call to mind the low sun light of late afternoon. Brian’s discovery of the salamander continues along this vein. First, the color palate remains softly muted, and while the images are clear, their edges are not starkly defined. Shadows cover the entire image adding to the already sleepy quality of the story as they signify the on-coming night, a time typically associated with dreams and the unreal. Shadows continue to be featured in every subsequent image maintaining the association with night and dreams throughout the text.
In addition to shadows and color palate, framing plays a very crucial role in establishing a dream-like quality within the text. The first opening reveals a framed image of Brian discovering the salamander on the verso side with the text amidst a blank white page on the recto side. The containment of the image within white border suggests containment of the child and the salamander within reality. The second opening presents a second framed image on the verso side with the text amidst a white background on the verso. However, this image (that of Brian turning off his light while getting into bed) features the drawer of Brian’s nightstand pulled out beyond the frame containing the image. Within the drawer is the salamander, the focus of Brian’s imagination, which bursts from the frame leaving the confinement of reality. Each opening that follows reveals framed images in which portions of the framed image break out of the reality of the framed world as Brian’s imagination takes him from realistic ways to care for the salamander to those that are much less likely. The images also get progressively bigger as the frames and images begin to take over both the recto and verso sides of the openings. Eventually, the frames disappear all together suggesting that Brian is now deeply immersed within his salamander dream. Interestingly, the first true, full bleed image appears when Brian suggests removing the ceiling of his bedroom. This links the concept of dreams with the removal of physical containment which in this case is the ceiling. From this point forward, each image is full bleed until the very last. This image is a tightly contained image showing both the boy and the salamander asleep in their beds within the frame of reality perhaps suggesting that without constraints of reality there can be no imagination.
This book is one where the pictures and the text work in harmony to create a dream-like quality. From the onset, the green endpapers are a soft, diluted green rather a punchy, vibrant color. Both the title and dedication pages feature images (a stack of leaves and a butterfly respectively), complete with shadows. The images are soft, lacking defined lines, and the grey shadows call to mind the low sun light of late afternoon. Brian’s discovery of the salamander continues along this vein. First, the color palate remains softly muted, and while the images are clear, their edges are not starkly defined. Shadows cover the entire image adding to the already sleepy quality of the story as they signify the on-coming night, a time typically associated with dreams and the unreal. Shadows continue to be featured in every subsequent image maintaining the association with night and dreams throughout the text.
In addition to shadows and color palate, framing plays a very crucial role in establishing a dream-like quality within the text. The first opening reveals a framed image of Brian discovering the salamander on the verso side with the text amidst a blank white page on the recto side. The containment of the image within white border suggests containment of the child and the salamander within reality. The second opening presents a second framed image on the verso side with the text amidst a white background on the verso. However, this image (that of Brian turning off his light while getting into bed) features the drawer of Brian’s nightstand pulled out beyond the frame containing the image. Within the drawer is the salamander, the focus of Brian’s imagination, which bursts from the frame leaving the confinement of reality. Each opening that follows reveals framed images in which portions of the framed image break out of the reality of the framed world as Brian’s imagination takes him from realistic ways to care for the salamander to those that are much less likely. The images also get progressively bigger as the frames and images begin to take over both the recto and verso sides of the openings. Eventually, the frames disappear all together suggesting that Brian is now deeply immersed within his salamander dream. Interestingly, the first true, full bleed image appears when Brian suggests removing the ceiling of his bedroom. This links the concept of dreams with the removal of physical containment which in this case is the ceiling. From this point forward, each image is full bleed until the very last. This image is a tightly contained image showing both the boy and the salamander asleep in their beds within the frame of reality perhaps suggesting that without constraints of reality there can be no imagination.
October 11, 2011
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer tells the story of Brian, a young boy who finds a salamander in the woods. He imagines all the things he would do for his salamander if he were to take him home. His mother asks all the questions, such as, "They will be hungry. How will you feed them?" Brian responds, "I will bring insects to live in my room. And every day I will catch some and feed the salamanders." The story continues like this, and you can just imagine Brian's room becoming a paradise for his salamander to live in.
This book surprised me at the depth this story goes into. Brian wants to make his new friend as comfortable as possible, and the reader is taken into a world where the salamander does come home with Brian because of the detail of Brian's imagination and the illustrations. I highly enjoyed this book, because every child at some point discovers something that they would like to imagine. My favorite element from this book was how the pictures break through the borders and engage the reader in believing that this could actually happen.
The cover is forest green, with a border image of the salamander on green leaves. The title is on a tan plaque with green text. The back of the cover has Brian and the salamander asleep in his room. The end pages are the forest green again, allowing the reader to already be transported to the environment of Brian's new room. The title page has the title in a big black text feature, with green leaves underneath and a bug crawling over them. The dedication page has a butterfly flying through. As the story begins, the pictures start on the left side of the page as a block image. The text is on a white page in black lettering. The illustrations are very vivid, and I can imagine myself in the woods with Brian. The salamander pops on the page immediately because he's a reddish-orange and my eyes were drawn to him right away. The text has his mother asking him questions of how the salamander will live in his room, and Brian responds each time, and the illustrations answer as well. The illustrations enhance the text, and with each turn on the page you begin to wonder what will change next. Pretty soon, the images begin to change as they start to break the borders. The pictures begin taking up more space, and often the text is within the picture with white text. Soon, there are full-bleed images as Brian's room begins to mimic the woods in its entirety. The story ends with Brian asleep in his room with his salamander asleep next to him. This story would be great for teaching perspective, as well as showcasing how important the illustrations become as Brian's room begins to change.
This book surprised me at the depth this story goes into. Brian wants to make his new friend as comfortable as possible, and the reader is taken into a world where the salamander does come home with Brian because of the detail of Brian's imagination and the illustrations. I highly enjoyed this book, because every child at some point discovers something that they would like to imagine. My favorite element from this book was how the pictures break through the borders and engage the reader in believing that this could actually happen.
The cover is forest green, with a border image of the salamander on green leaves. The title is on a tan plaque with green text. The back of the cover has Brian and the salamander asleep in his room. The end pages are the forest green again, allowing the reader to already be transported to the environment of Brian's new room. The title page has the title in a big black text feature, with green leaves underneath and a bug crawling over them. The dedication page has a butterfly flying through. As the story begins, the pictures start on the left side of the page as a block image. The text is on a white page in black lettering. The illustrations are very vivid, and I can imagine myself in the woods with Brian. The salamander pops on the page immediately because he's a reddish-orange and my eyes were drawn to him right away. The text has his mother asking him questions of how the salamander will live in his room, and Brian responds each time, and the illustrations answer as well. The illustrations enhance the text, and with each turn on the page you begin to wonder what will change next. Pretty soon, the images begin to change as they start to break the borders. The pictures begin taking up more space, and often the text is within the picture with white text. Soon, there are full-bleed images as Brian's room begins to mimic the woods in its entirety. The story ends with Brian asleep in his room with his salamander asleep next to him. This story would be great for teaching perspective, as well as showcasing how important the illustrations become as Brian's room begins to change.
October 15, 2014
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer is a delightful picture book that expresses both a love and appreciation for nature as well as the power of of a child’s imagination. A young boy finds a salamander in the woods and delighted by it’s “warm and cozy” feeling he decided to bring it home. The book continues as the mother gently questions the boy as to how he will take care of such a creature. The boy first response is very reasonable; he will bring in bits of natures, leaves, moss, rocks, etc. to make the salamander feel as if he is at home in the woods. The mother continues to question him, perhaps to help him see that the salamander belongs in nature. It is impractical to keep him in his bedroom. For instance, the boy states that he will bring in insects for the salamander to catch and eat. The mother softly states, “The insects will multiply, and soon there will be bugs and insects everywhere.” The boy then states that he will bring in birds to eat the insects. Instead of correctly him or telling him that this is impractical or unrealistic, the mother allows the boy to continue his fantasy. Slowly he brings in more and more elements of nature in his room, the ceiling and walls fall away, until eventually the only remaining element of his room is his bed. The book ends with him sleeping outdoors under the stars next to the salamander. The mother’s role affirms the magical quality that imagination can bring to our lives and how it can expand our world. The text and the illustrations both support this idea and work together to create a simple, but engaging read. The written text is soft and lyrical, full of imagery. The illustrations are beautiful and richly colored. As the book begins, the illustrations are contained to the verso and are tightly framed by a thick white border. As the boy begins to bring in more elements of nature into his bedroom and his imagination expands, so do the illustrations. Gradually images of nature begin to break the frame and the illustrations start to spread onto the recto as well. By the end of the book, we see double-page, full-bleed illustrations.
October 16, 2012
This story is rich in vocabulary as it tells the process of keeping an animal in your care. The author uses may words that can be found in nature as they tell this story. The book in informative as well as fictional. The colorful vivid illustrations on each page keep your eyes moving all around as you find the many things present mentioned in the story. This story would be great for starting a unit on incest with a classroom of first graders.
The Child in the story wants to keep the salamander he finds. If allowed at your school use this story as way to introduce bringing an animal into your class room. Like the story talk about what you need to feed it, to house it, and all the other aspects of taking care of something. This may be something that takes more than a day. Plan ahead what you will need one day. Bring the items in and let the children create the habitat for their new creature to live in. On another day introduce the animal in to the room and discuss with the children how to care for it and the things that will come with this new addition to the class. This can be a learning experience over time as many topics of care and basic needs are covered when teaching children to care for an animal. Have the children take turns feeding and doing other routines that the animals requires that are appropriate.
The Child in the story wants to keep the salamander he finds. If allowed at your school use this story as way to introduce bringing an animal into your class room. Like the story talk about what you need to feed it, to house it, and all the other aspects of taking care of something. This may be something that takes more than a day. Plan ahead what you will need one day. Bring the items in and let the children create the habitat for their new creature to live in. On another day introduce the animal in to the room and discuss with the children how to care for it and the things that will come with this new addition to the class. This can be a learning experience over time as many topics of care and basic needs are covered when teaching children to care for an animal. Have the children take turns feeding and doing other routines that the animals requires that are appropriate.
October 15, 2013
The Salamander Room is about a little boy named Brian and a tiny salamander he finds in the woods. Upon bringing the salamander home Brian's mother begins to question how he will care for the little creature. As Brian's mother poses questions for him his imagination grows as he describes in great detail how he will care for his new pet. Brian has grand plans for the salamander that only a child could imagine! The reader is left wondering will Brian's mother let him keep his new friend?
This story is an excellent example of a child's ability to use his or her imagination to answer questions that adults seem to complicate with knowledge. I enjoyed the question answer structure of this story and applaud any child that would have the creatively honest answers that Brian finds. The rich illustrations have the reader feeling and believing that Brian's imagination is becoming a reality. The images seem to grow as his imagination grows. The first opening is a single page spread with thick white borders, but as the story continues the illustrations begin to break through the borders until they simply fade away and the reader is engulfed in full bleed double page spreads that mirror Brian's explosive imagination. This technique of growing images is often used in stories that attempt to escape the limitations of reality and fits this book perfectly.
This story is an excellent example of a child's ability to use his or her imagination to answer questions that adults seem to complicate with knowledge. I enjoyed the question answer structure of this story and applaud any child that would have the creatively honest answers that Brian finds. The rich illustrations have the reader feeling and believing that Brian's imagination is becoming a reality. The images seem to grow as his imagination grows. The first opening is a single page spread with thick white borders, but as the story continues the illustrations begin to break through the borders until they simply fade away and the reader is engulfed in full bleed double page spreads that mirror Brian's explosive imagination. This technique of growing images is often used in stories that attempt to escape the limitations of reality and fits this book perfectly.
December 1, 2015
The Salamander Room is a great addition to the K-2 classroom to allow students to visualize in beautiful detail the transformation of a boys regular bedroom into a salamander room where his new pet can co-exist with him in the salamander's natural environment. The boy provides his mother's inquiries imaginative answers to the problems she poses. Like so many children the boys tries to persuade his mother to let him have a pet and proposes the most unique solution. The book provides for the writing trait of organization by drawing the reader in through voice of the child and the mother and the sequence that keeps you reading eager to find out if the boy does indeed persuade his mother to let him keep the salamander as a pet. The book lends for sentence fluency and you can read and hear the expression in the voice of both the mother and her son. This book could be used during sciences classes to talk about environments and as an example of persuasive writing for students during their word workshops.
A great perk for MN students is the ability to visit the Wild Rumpus Bookstore and see the pages of the Salamander Room unfold as you walk through the front door.
http://www.wildrumpusbooks.com/rumpus...
A great perk for MN students is the ability to visit the Wild Rumpus Bookstore and see the pages of the Salamander Room unfold as you walk through the front door.
http://www.wildrumpusbooks.com/rumpus...
February 20, 2016
Reading this book about a little boy finding a salamander in the woods reminded me of discovering nature when I was a child. I would often search under rocks by the stream behind my house for black and yellow spotted salamanders. When my sons grew older, I showed them those same places while visiting home and they really enjoyed that activity. During this story, the little boy wants to keep the salamander in his house inside his bedroom. His parents ask him how he will feed it, house it, and give it an environment in which the salamander could survive. The little boy’s bedroom goes through the most change and by the end of the story his room looks like the woods, making a reader think the salamander is better off staying in the woods in the first place. The book politely explains to readers that wild creatures are exactly that, wild, and should stay in their natural habitats for survival. The story also does a good job explaining our fascination with nature and the illustrations complimented the text very well. The pictures revealed various types of woods life like birds, bugs, trees, and frogs. Young children would enjoy this book along with discussions about science and nature.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2014
The Salamander Room is the story of a young boy's imagination gone wild. After retrieving a small, orange salamander from the woods, he creates a fantastical scenario wherein he can allow the salamander to live in his room. His mother questions his every decision by prodding him for more information, and Brian, the young boy, provides them in minute detail: He will carpet his room with shiny leaves and water so the salamander can play; he will bring trees into his room and rip the roof off his ceiling to allow sunlight and rain to enter; he will find birds to eat the extra bugs and insects necessary for the salamander to eat.
The illustrations initially resemble real-life scenarios, neatly pictured in a framed border, and eventually, as Brian's imagination grows, so do the pictures. First, only certain objects break the frame of the neat and tidy border, but by the time Brian imagines the roof being taken off his house and rain falling in his room, the illustrations are full bleed. The colors used are indicative of deep within a rain forest, so while the illustrations are beautiful, they are deeply saturated.
The illustrations initially resemble real-life scenarios, neatly pictured in a framed border, and eventually, as Brian's imagination grows, so do the pictures. First, only certain objects break the frame of the neat and tidy border, but by the time Brian imagines the roof being taken off his house and rain falling in his room, the illustrations are full bleed. The colors used are indicative of deep within a rain forest, so while the illustrations are beautiful, they are deeply saturated.
February 10, 2016
Mazer, Anne, and Steve Johnson. The Salamander Room. New York: Knopf, 1991. Print.
Summary:Brian is a little boy who finds a salamander. He desperately wants to keep his new friend. Each time his mother gives him a reason why he should not keep the salamander as a pet, Brian returns with how he can care for the salamander. This is a sweet tale of a little boy with a great imagination. I recommend this book as a read aloud for non and early readers as well as for elementary school students in the lower grades.
Ridiculously Simple Synopsis: Boy dreams up a salamander habitat to provide for his pet.
Curriculum Connection: Environment, animals, persuasive writing
Genre: Picture Book, Fiction
Reading Level: Elementary
Awards: WINNER 1991 Pennsylvania Keystone State Reading Association Book Award, WINNER 1991 Reading Rainbow Feature Books, WINNER 1993 Kentucky Bluegrass Master List
Characters:
Brian: The boy in the story who desperately wants a salamander for a pet
The salamander: Brian 19s desired pet
Brian's mother: Asks Brian questions pertaining to the care of the new pet and how Brian will accomplish this.
Summary:Brian is a little boy who finds a salamander. He desperately wants to keep his new friend. Each time his mother gives him a reason why he should not keep the salamander as a pet, Brian returns with how he can care for the salamander. This is a sweet tale of a little boy with a great imagination. I recommend this book as a read aloud for non and early readers as well as for elementary school students in the lower grades.
Ridiculously Simple Synopsis: Boy dreams up a salamander habitat to provide for his pet.
Curriculum Connection: Environment, animals, persuasive writing
Genre: Picture Book, Fiction
Reading Level: Elementary
Awards: WINNER 1991 Pennsylvania Keystone State Reading Association Book Award, WINNER 1991 Reading Rainbow Feature Books, WINNER 1993 Kentucky Bluegrass Master List
Characters:
Brian: The boy in the story who desperately wants a salamander for a pet
The salamander: Brian 19s desired pet
Brian's mother: Asks Brian questions pertaining to the care of the new pet and how Brian will accomplish this.
February 2, 2014
This book is about is about a young boy named Brian who finds a salamander in the woods. Brian takes the salamander home to make him feel loved. Brian’s mom asks Brian many questions about where the salamander will live, where he will sleep, what he will eat and so on and Brian comes up with responses to all of the questions. His imagination eventually turns his responses into a fantasy story. He goes on and on about all of the things that the salamander will have and about how his bedroom will turn into a big beautiful forest. This book is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Not only did it let my imagination sore but I can’t imagine what it could do for children. I would use this book in my classroom because this book allows children to spread their imagination and come up with beautiful things in their mind. I would recommend this book in any k-3rd grade classroom and the reading level would be around a 3rd grade reading level.
September 13, 2018
This book is about a boy who finds a salamander in the forest and expands his imagination. The boy explains a variety of things and ways that he will take care of the salamander in. The boy imagines to bring the salamander in his room along with other bugs, insects, crickets, and frogs. Also, the boy knows the salamander will miss the forest so he imagines bringing leaves and a big tree to put all in his room.
This is a fun, entertaining book for kids. This book is written in a question-and-answer structure, which is rare, but fun. It is a great example to teach children about the different books there are to choose from, the different structures of writing authors select and can be used to compare and contrast with books of a differently written structure. The illustrations are amazingly well put together to express the kid's imaginations. This book is for merely entertaining, but it could serve to assist kids and inspire their imaginations.
This is a fun, entertaining book for kids. This book is written in a question-and-answer structure, which is rare, but fun. It is a great example to teach children about the different books there are to choose from, the different structures of writing authors select and can be used to compare and contrast with books of a differently written structure. The illustrations are amazingly well put together to express the kid's imaginations. This book is for merely entertaining, but it could serve to assist kids and inspire their imaginations.
October 12, 2013
Brian finds a salamader in the forest. He believe that he can provide a ideal place for the salamander to live in his room. His Mom asks some questions wondering Brian's room might be perfect place, and Brian answers. He is ready to do everything on any cost. He is even ready to blow his ceiling out.
I liked the vivid illustrations, which make me feel that I'm finding the salamander. Like 'Where the Wild Things Are,' the illustrations getting bigger as story goes deep into the climax, and finally full bleed pages come. This is the moment when Brian's imagination reach in peak. The story ends with Brian asleep in his room with the salamander sleeping next to him. Is that real or sill in his imagination? I like this kind of vague open space to think about. This book also remind me my son. He seems he can do lots of things by himself just like the Brian.
I liked the vivid illustrations, which make me feel that I'm finding the salamander. Like 'Where the Wild Things Are,' the illustrations getting bigger as story goes deep into the climax, and finally full bleed pages come. This is the moment when Brian's imagination reach in peak. The story ends with Brian asleep in his room with the salamander sleeping next to him. Is that real or sill in his imagination? I like this kind of vague open space to think about. This book also remind me my son. He seems he can do lots of things by himself just like the Brian.
October 28, 2009
Brian finds a salamander in the woods and brings it home. When his mother asks how he will give the creature what it needs, he envisions transforming his bedroom, step by step, into a salamander paradise. The illustrations in this short picture book immerse the reader and make her long for a salamander room herself. Mazer's writing hints of poetry without becoming overly flowery: "The rain will come through the open roof, and the sun, too. And vines will creep up the walls of my room, and ferns will grow under my bed. There will be big white mushrooms and moss like little stars growing around the tree stumps that the salamanders climb on."
I bought this in the bookshop at Muir Woods, and have used it while teaching first graders about habitat.
I bought this in the bookshop at Muir Woods, and have used it while teaching first graders about habitat.
November 8, 2016
The Salamander Room is about a little boy who finds a salamander and wants to take it home as a pet. The mother asks him questions like, "where will the salamander sleep?" and the boy creates an answer. Then the mother has another question like, "where will he play?" and "how will you feed him?" and each time the boy comes up with an answer. However, to keep the salamander happy the boy has to keep bringing in more and more of the outdoors into his room. The facts are true about how to take care of a salamander so this is a good learning tool. The colors in the pictures are very warm and have a tropical feel.
This book is environmental fiction. It could be used as a hook to learn about salamanders for K-3.
This book is environmental fiction. It could be used as a hook to learn about salamanders for K-3.
September 8, 2012
I really liked this book. I have never read it before and even though it is a children's book, I was really engaged and enjoyed it! I loved how imaginative the child was. It was as if the mom was being realistic and the child knew all the answers to have the perfect solution, but the mom never discouraged him. By the end of the story, the boy had created the same habitat he had found the salamander in. The pictures were vivid and the written literature really enhanced the story by using a lot of adjectives. My favorite part is when the little boy decided to life off the ceiling so that the birds could fly out and come back for dinner.
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September 11, 2012The Salamander room is a really fun and interesting fantasy book because it tells a story that is not very common or many people think of off the top of their head. It is a perfect book for kids because it is about another young child finds a salamander and takes it home and wants to turn his home into the salamanders home as well. Young kids love learning about animals and bugs and insects so this book includes that in the main story plot. This book allows children to use their imagination and picture the boys room for themselves and what young child wouldn't enjoy turning their room into a forest for an animal they adore.
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