Snake and Lizard

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

Balls!

Content

While Balls! does not relate directly to the New Zealand curriculum, the history and statistics about each ball could be used to supplement PE lessons or homework, while the “question-a-ball” sections introduce physics concepts with practical applications.  Balls! provides detailed factual information about the balls used in eight different sports, and mentions many others. Although the fame of sports stars may wane, most of the balls have been the same for generations already, so this resource will remain relevant for many years.

Author’s voice

Michael J. Rosen has published more than 20 books for children. He is passionate enough about the subject of balls, but even more evident in his writing is his enthusiasm for and knowledge of his young readers. Although this is a non-fiction work, the author’s jovial, child-friendly voice is evident throughout, from the awful humour of the ubiquitous ball puns to the details about his own childhood and pets in the ‘about the author’ information on the dust jacket.

Images

Balls! is illustrated in full colour, with every double-page spread including at least 3-10 images. These images include captioned photographs (including extreme close-ups of balls; balls by themselves, in use, and with sports stars), diagrams (e.g. of the dimensions of a football), and numerous cartoon-style illustrations by John Margeson. Images vary in size and shape depending on whether they are presented with their background or as cut-outs. Unskilled readers can still experience plenty of enjoyment from this book without reading the entirety of the text.

Design

Balls! is a typical size for a NF hardback, slightly shorter and wider than A4, convenient to slip into a schoolbag or share with friends around a table. Organised into eight main chapter-like divisions, each type of ball has 6-10 pages devoted to it, including sections under consistent headings relating to the composition of the ball itself, vocabulary used in its particular sport, and world records pertaining to the ball. Colour schemes tend to match the ball in question (e.g. the tennis ball ‘chapter’ uses a lot of fluorescent green, while basketball’s bullet points, borders, and subheadings are mostly orange), but for continuity the same fonts are used throughout the book.

Further information

The book concludes with three pages of recommended additional reading. While a small number of books (and / or book publishers) are recommended under each heading, the majority of the list comprises websites, divided into the same categories as the books’ contents page (at least three sites per ball). Each recommended resource has a sentence or two by Rosen explaining what’s good about it; for example he notes if a site has a particular section for kids.

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Rosen, M. J. (2006). Balls! (J. Margeson, Illus.). Plain City, OH: Darby Creek.