Snake and Lizard, by Joy Cowley, illustrated by Gavin Bishop
I didn’t set out to post two Joy Cowley books in a row, but we do have a lot of her books, so I guess it was bound to happen eventually!
My older daughter loves to read, but hates tension in her books. We are always looking for books for her that won’t be deemed “scary.” This book about a snake and a lizard and their unlikely friendship was perfect for her in her early days of reading chapter books. It was a gift from New Zealand (Joy Cowley is a New Zealander), but it is available in the US, too.
The stories are simple, but there is some depth there, too. The book ends with snake and lizard paying a visit to the river of death, which is full of terrible monsters that kill lots of animals. The river is a road, and my daughter loved that she figured that out without any help from me. That one story has stayed with her for years.
Buy at:
Amazon
Gecko Press