Mary Had a Little Lizard

June 1, 2017
In this wordless picture book, a pet lizard avoids separation anxiety by stowing away in its owner's backpack on the first day of school. Frontmatter pages depict the little lizard cuddled up next to the snoozing Mary's pillow. The lizard wakes the flaxen-haired white child, plainly expecting a day of play, but Mary's mother (a grown-up version of Mary) gestures urgently at her watch: clearly something is going on. As the lizard waits, puppylike, at the door with leash dangling from its mouth, Mary sadly packs her backpack--so of course the lizard crawls in. Although Mary sternly gestures for it to stay concealed, predictably, the lizard--possibly the cutest iguana anyone ever did see--sneaks out and wreaks mild havoc to the delight of Mary's racially diverse classmates and displeasure of her hip, black teacher. Harren's figures are of the "big eyes" aesthetic, though their expressions are largely ones of snub-nosed merriment rather than Gothic gloom. While the specifics of the premise are unusual, the overall story and treatment are not. Children will wonder at the (fairly) matter-of-fact way the teacher orders the lizard out of the classroom--and the way the chagrined but obedient reptile obeys. There is no scolding for Mary, just a mildly exasperated trip to the school for her mom, who leashes the lizard up and drags it home. Cute but a little muddled and ultimately failing to break new ground. (Picture book. 3-7)

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September 1, 2017

PreS-K-Contrary to the familiar nursery rhyme, the fair-haired chid in this wordless picture book takes a pet lizard to school instead of a lamb. The geckolike critter stirs up quite a bit of mischief once he escapes from Mary's backpack hung up in her cubbie. The author's attractive and colorful artwork brings a multitude of humorous scenes in varying perspectives, showing the goofy-looking lizard creatively dabbling with the brushes and acrylics set out for Painting Day. Mary's classroom includes a teacher and classmates of many ethnicities. Unfortunately, one child's face falls in the gutter crease of the book's binding. Concluding pages show happiness for Mary and her pet at the end of the school day. This alternate telling of the Mother Goose rhyme can contribute to children's imaginations and conversational skills as they decide what will happen next. VERDICT A supplemental but enjoyable choice to read-aloud or read-alone.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2018
In this take on "Mary Had a Little Lamb"--told wordlessly except for blackboard writing and the like in the illustrations--a lizard stows away in a contemporary girl's backpack and makes a mess at school. The lizard's antics create some humorous moments, but the art over-relies on frequent close-ups, off-kilter perspectives, and exaggerated facial expressions.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)