Production quality
As with all Gecko Press’s output (which illustrator Gavin Bishop called “an outstanding example of quality production values” (The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, 2011, p. 40)), Snake and Lizard is a very appealing book to behold. A sturdily-bound hardback with an ample dust jacket, the pages are also made of higher-quality paper than those of manyNew Zealand books. While these factors encourage the reader’s impression that “here is something to treasure” (Larson, quoted in Gecko Press Ltd., 2012 ), practically speaking they enhance durability and so prolong the shelf life of the library’s investment.
Design and illustrations
Defying genre classification, Snake and Lizard is somewhere between a picture book, a novel, and a short story collection. As such, there is no double-page spread that is not enhanced by one or more of Bishop’s atmospheric watercolours, and the now rare endpapers reproduce a host of creatures from the same habitat. In a similarly novel design feature, the first letter of each chapter is illuminated with a background illustration, many of which allude to the meaning of the metaphor of the “river of death” from the end of the book.
Setting
Although the majority of the text is timeless, deliberately folk-tale like, the final episode clearly shows that these characters are not, after all, too far removed in time from us: there is a busy road running through their environment.
However the setting in place is unmistakable from the book’s outset: Snake and Lizard inhabit a “desert… stony and spiked with cacti” (Cowley, 2007, p. 1). This setting is subtly reinforced both by the illustrations, and by textual allusions to the weather, flora, and fauna. While it may seem surprising that Cowley is deliberately setting her story as far from her familiar New Zealand bush as possible, Snake and Lizard is a good example of the new kind of New Zealand literature that Mahy refers to, in which “writers are relieved of the necessity to represent the local scene on behalf of local readers” (The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, 2011, p. 5).
Characters
I was particularly impressed by the minor characters in this book: each animal that comes to take advantage of the title characters’ help service has his/her own personality quirks and distinctive mode of communication. Snake and Lizard themselves are a likable pair, and the way in which they relate to each other is endearingly familiar, albeit frequently more reminiscent of siblings than of friends.
Their personalities, relationship, and adventures so reminded me of a similar pairing from my own childhood that I believe the resemblance must be deliberate; as the library already owns several titles in Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad series, we already have resources available to recommend for further reading to those that enjoy Snake and Lizard.
Theme
This book convincingly demonstrates the advantages of overlooking differences (of background, diet, physical ability, etc.) in favour of friendship. As Long says, “you would think that it was in our national interest for children from our different communities to grow up understanding one another” (2003, p. 62); Snake and Lizard can be used as a tool to delicately promote discussion and plant the seeds of non-discrimination into New Zealand’s young minds.
References:
Cowley, J. (2007). Snake and Lizard (G. Bishop, Illus.). Wellington, New Zealand: Gecko Press.
Gecko Press Ltd. (2012). About Gecko Press. Retrieved May 2, 2012, from http://www.geckopress.co.nz/About_Gecko_Press_6.aspx
Long, D. (2003). Pacific voices. In J. McKenzie, D. Darnell & A. Smith (Eds.), Cinderella transformed: Multiple voices and diverse dialogues in children’s literature (pp. 59-68). Christchurch, New Zealand: Christchurch College of Education.
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. (2011). Module 2: Aotearoa New Zealand children’s literature – towards a new maturity. In 72276 Literature and Information Resources for Children and Young People. LowerHutt, New Zealand: Author
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