What the Lizard Said is the first in a series of illustrated poetry books that chronicle the adventures of Wise Dog and his younger friend, Jimmi, two dogs on a quest to learn important lessons about the world we live in.
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I just love your illustrations. One could get lost in their stories for hours. The colors are so striking too.
The poetry is enchanting, the artwork colorful. Highly recommended!
Both Josie and her cousin Levi have really enjoyed What the Lizard Said. Levi and family are in Hawaii this week and he took it with him to read on the plane. Josie looks at the pictures, won't allow anyone to read the words, and gabs about it, though I can't understand much of what she's saying :)
Jimmi and Wise Dog meet a lizard, a turtle, a hen, and a gopher. Each animal shares its story in a sentimental, rhyming format, and each story is laced with somber morality and introspection. For the gopher, for example, “juicy roots” are akin to a pirate’s treasure, while silver and gold are mere tin. And the Lizard knows that he must reconcile himself to his past by letting his tail go, remarking: I drop one tail and grow another as Lizards use a single rudder to chase the sun and catch the light before today becomes the night. The accompanying illustration of the lizard on a magic carpet evokes a message of letting go. And elsewhere, a turtle’s shell is depicted as a home with windows, doors, and a chimney. The illustrations are fanciful, creative, and carefree, evoking coloring books, handcrafted work, and collages. They feature stark yellows, greens, blues—the colors that shape the pages . . . And the settings are enlivened by flowers, stars, and fruits, shown in eye-catching patterns of movement. In the vibrant picture book What the Lizard Said, two friends are made privy to the lessons learned by fellow animals. Individual poems from the Wise Dog and Jimmi books have appeared in Paradise Review, Halycon, The Wardrobe, Parody, vox poetica, and Enter the Gateway Anthology.
Nels Hanson and Mandana Talieh have created a charming world where two dogs, Wise Dog and Jimmi, set out on a rhyming adventure to learn about life from the animals they meet. Each poem introduces a new creature, like a lizard or a gopher, who shares a little bit of wisdom about being kind, letting go of the past, and caring for the earth. The colorful illustrations bring these lessons to life, making it a great pick for parents to read aloud with their kids. It’s a sweet, thoughtful way to help children build their vocabulary while talking about big ideas like empathy and friendship.
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