Lizard Walinsky

izard, whose real name is Elizabeth, and Spider, whose real name is Simon, are best friends.They know that they can depend on each other. But when first grade starts and Spider has to go to a different school, Lizard doesn't think she can go on without him. Here is a touching story about making new friends-and why true friends will never become extinct. Lighthearted illustrations from Debbie Tilley bring humor to ease those first-day-of-school jitters!

Kindergarten-Grade 2–Lizard Walinsky has trouble making friends because she is different from the other kids. She prefers to be called Lizard instead of Elizabeth. She loves dinosaurs and hates dolls. Just when it seems that she will never find anyone who shares her interests, she meets a boy named Spider and they become bosom buddies. When first grade starts, Spider has to go to a different school, and Lizard is devastated. Before long, though, she discovers a new pal in her class, and what used to be a duo becomes a trio. Baker successfully conveys the joy and excitement of meeting new friends and creates some very likable characters. Tilley's watercolor-and-ink artwork is filled with humorous touches such as the spider canopy on Spider's bed. This is a terrific book for any child looking to master the art of making new friends, keeping old ones, and bringing them all together.–Kelley Rae Unger, Peabody Institute, MA
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Like the protagonist of Baker and Tilley's No Ordinary Olive, the insouciant Lizard (aka Elizabeth Ann) is exuberantly and decisively independent. "I'm a dinosaur girl!" she roars when her grandmother sends her yet another doll for her birthday. But Lizard is lonely, and she doesn't find a kindred spirit until she meets Spider at summer T-ball practice and admires his reddish brown spider, Nectarine. Although the plot initially moves slowly, Baker's details enliven the text as Lizard and Spider toast marshmallows with gummy worms and vow to "stay friends until the second Ice Age." Tilley packs her watercolors with sly humor and plenty of action. Lizard and Spider stretch on the ground imitating pythons and rattlesnakes, the kitchen wallpaper is decorated with bacon and eggs, and Spider's bed sports a blue spider canopy. Lizard is bereft when she discovers that Spider goes to a different school in first grade, but her second time finding a friend with similar interests proves easier and by book's end the dynamic duo is a threesome. This amiable story provides readers with an effective model about friendships. A bonus for Olive fans: the book jacket urges readers to find five cameo appearances by Olive, who does not appear in the text. Ages 3-6.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.