The Iguana Brothers, a Tale of Two Lizards [Hardcover]

Tony Johnston (Author), Mark Teague (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1995 | Age Level: 4 and up

Tom and Dom, a young pair of iguanas, come to believe that they are dinosaurs, and while Dom is just happy with being himself, Tom is uncertain about whether iguana life is right for him.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Not since Frog and Toad has there been so fetching a pair of friends as Tom and Dom, iguana brothers living south of the border. Really three tales in one, Johnston's (Amber on the Mountain) hilariously deadpan narrative offers snappy dialogue and the same staccato cadence as Arnold Lobel's classics. In the first episode, Tom (the brains of the outfit) turns vegetarian, eschewing bugs for flowers. Next, Tom convinces Dom that they are really fearsome dinosaurs, but when ruling the earth doesn't work out, they settle for ruling a leaf instead. And finally, when Dom admires his favorite constellation-"The Big Iguana," of course-Tom determines to find him a friend just as "twinkly and beautiful." Spanish words and phrases neatly enrich the Mexican setting, and Teague's (Pigsty) loopy sense of humor finds a worthy artistic outlet in the fond interplay between the scaly siblings. His softly shaded illustrations are appropriately rich with hues of green, brown and terra cotta, and his sassy lizards are bursting with personality. Ole! Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3?These three brief tales about iguana brothers Tom and Dom describe how they give up their regular diet of bugs to become flower eaters; explore their physical similarity to dinosaurs; and affirm their friendship. The text includes a variety of Spanish words and expressions that are understandable in context as they are usually accompanied by an English translation (e.g., "?De veras? Really?"). Told in short, declarative sentences, the gently humorous vignettes would be fun for competent beginning-bilingual readers to tackle on their own, or for sharing aloud. Adults will find this an easy-to-use resource for mixed groups of English and Spanish speakers. The format is long and narrow, an eminently suitable shape for illustrations of these long-tailed reptiles. Teague's densely colored acrylic paintings make the most of the story's lush Mexican setting, and include other attention-getting animals such as a snake, toucan, armadillo, and tarantula. Tom and Dom feel like twinkling with happiness at the conclusion of the book; children will leave the story with a similar feeling.?Ellen Fader, Oregon State Library, Salem
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; 1St Edition edition (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590474685
• ISBN-13: 978-0590474689
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very entertaining and conveys a great message!, February 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Iguana Brothers, a Tale of Two Lizards (Hardcover)

I would recommend this book for primary grade levels and even for older children for the humorous content. This book is as much fun for the teacher as it is for the kids. It has a great message that brothers can also be friends. I recommend this book highly.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for brothers, September 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Iguana Brothers, a Tale of Two Lizards (Hardcover)

Tom and Dom are so fun, we've read this book over and over again. We've imagined all sorts of new adventures for Tom and Dom, and we've learned some Spanish along the way. This is definately in the the top 10 of our hundreds of children's books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Funny Tale of Friendship, September 19, 2000

By 

Paul Martin (Waukesha, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Iguana Brothers, a Tale of Two Lizards (Hardcover)

3-8 yrs. Children will enjoy this story of Tom and Dom, two Iguana brothers who contemplate such issues as whether or not to eat bugs, their realization that they are dinosaurs, and having friends. They speak english with occasional spanish words reflecting their locale & habitat. A funny story.