Review of Friends: Snake and Lizard

I have to be honest and say that I feel like I must have missed something when I read the book Friends: Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley. What is being touted as a great book on friendship actually bothered me in many ways. The stories were quite strange and I am not sure how young children could relate to them.

In the first two, they are perplexed by a spiderweb that is blocking one of their doors. Snake is convinced that the spider is poisonous and Lizard sets out to prove her wrong. The third story reminisces about Snake's mother's death by buzzard and how she used to do a rain dance. Then, the fourth story is about how a rabbit was trampled to death on The River of Death. One assumes this means the road and that Ear Bent was run over. 

In another one, Lizard's sister, Sister Forty-Nine doesn't believe that snakes and lizards can be friends and comes to take her brother away. Snake hisses at her to scare her off. I guess in this one I can see how close friends are protecting each other and their devotion as friends. I can see how the book is trying to show that you can be friends, even if you are different. It is okay to stand up for your friendship. 

I like the story called “Love” because they talk about how love is a special word. If it is used carelessly, then it loses its meaning. That is an important lesson for society as a whole.

Like I said, there could just be something here that I am missing that makes it a wonderful read. You will have to check it out for yourself and then please let me know what you think of it.



I received a copy of galleys in exchange for my honest review.