Small Green Snake

Despite his mother's warning not to wander, Small Green Snake wiggles away to investigate the new sound from across the garden wall

PreSchool-Grade 2-A squiggly, wiggly, truly adventurous Small Green Snake disobeys his mother and goes off exploring on his own. Just as she warned, he is caught and put in a glass jelly jar. A curious cat accidentally frees him, and he returns home, shares his travel tales, and lures the whole family out on his next outing. This is a romping, rhyming delight of a story that must be read aloud so that the many S's and the great words and catchy phrases can be fully enjoyed. The fresh and funny torn-paper collages are a perfect complement to the spirited text.
Jody McCoy, Casady School, Oklahoma City
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In this Peter Rabbit-esque cautionary tale, a mischievous young snake learns the hard way that wanderlust can be hazardous to his health. Gray (Fenton's Leap; Dear Willie Rudd) rouses the reader with her rhythmic, punched-up prose: "I'm a grassy grassy/ garter snake/ a sassy sassy/ flashy flashy/ tail twisting/ tail turning/ tail snapping/green snake/ hiss a hiss/ a hiss a hiss/ a hisssssssss..." Key words and phrases are rendered as part of Meade's (This Is the Hat) vibrant torn-paper collage artwork, accenting the book's bouncy beat. Bright green, blue and purple swatches, used to depict the garden and its activity, are outlined in white for dramatic visual effect. After an even more curious cat unwittingly frees the little snake from the glass jar in which a human has trapped him, the unrepentant serpent quickly convinces his siblings to slither off to new adventures across the garden wall. Despite some occasionally clumsy turns of phrase, the abundant use of onomatopoeia and bold, graphic artwork make this sibilant storybook a natural candidate for read-alouds. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 3-6. Great for reading aloud and for audience participation, this is the funny adventure of a small, sassy, flashy, grassy garter snake who won't heed Mama Snake's warning to stay curled up safe at home. He goes exploring and comes face to face with a monster: a squealing woman with huge, snapping garden shears. He hisses "Sorry, sorry, sorry," but it doesn't help. Just as his mama warned him, he ends up imprisoned in a glass jelly jar. When he escapes, Mama's so relieved to have him back that she doesn't even scold him. Then the surprise ending reverses the usual cozy pattern: Small Green Snake takes off again, and this time his brothers and sisters want to go, too. There's a rhythmic darting movement in the sound of the hissing words. The illustrations in brightly colored torn-paper collage express the jerkiness and sinuousness of the storytelling. Kids will be wiggling and quivering in sympathy with the chant: "We're grassy grassy / garter snakes / sassy sassy / flashy flashy . . ." Hazel Rochman