Wizard and the Lizard: Children’s Book Review

Last Updated on October 1, 2020 by Jenn | The Nerd Mom

The kids and I recently checked out a new children’s book series called Wizard and the Lizard. It was a big hit, especially with my three-year-old son, so I wanted to share it!

We read Wizard and the Lizard as well as its follow up, Wizard and the Lizard: Wacky Weather. When I first showed him the books and told him the title, he had fun trying to say it back to me, figuring out the rhyming. He immediately gravitated towards the wizard, pointing to his image on the cover and asking, “Mama, who is that?”.

The wizard also piqued my geeky interest. The kindly-looking, bearded man reminded me of Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, who was one of the inspirations for the character, according to the book’s author, Katie Reed.

The books tell stories about a friendly wizard and his companion, Buddy the lizard. In Wizard and the Lizard, Buddy decides he wishes he could be a dragon. The wizard crafts a few potions that Buddy hopes will turn him into a dragon. Instead, each potion gives him a silly new feature, such as a pig’s snout, until Buddy can hardly recognize himself. He realizes he prefers his old self, which was the wizard’s goal all along. I loved the moral of the story, which is to love yourself just the way you are.

Wizard and the Lizard: Wacky Weather begins with our two friends feeling disappointed because they planned to have a picnic, but it is raining outside. They decide to make a weather machine to try and stop the rain. This backfires, resulting in some pretty hilarious conditions, including dirty diapers falling from the sky and glowing green snow. After their attempt to draw out the sun fails, the wizard and Buddy give up and decide to try to make the best of their day. When they do this, the weather clears up and they are able to enjoy their picnic. They realize that once they stopped trying to change things, everything worked out in the end.

The books were the perfect length for my son’s age group – long enough to provide a challenge, but not so long as to make him lose interest. The metered and rhymed writing give it a musical quality that particularly drew him in; these are also my favorite children’s books to read out loud. The writing was clever and catchy. The messages about learning to appreciate what you have were easy to understand.

I gauge my son’s interest in a book based on how many questions he has about it. Although it can be a little irritating being constantly interrupted, I know he is excited and learning when he asks for clarification on who is doing what and stops me to make summarizing statements about what I’m reading.

This kid had a LOT to say about these books. He was so interested in the characters and what was happening to them. He excitedly pointed to the pictures and made connections between what he saw and what I read.

Another thing he does when he likes a book is he carries it around with him for a couple of days like a favorite stuffed animal. Today, when we took the dog to the dog park, he insisted on taking his two new Wizard and the Lizard books with us. Even when I’m not reading to him, he likes to flip through the pictures and retell the story in his own words.

As a mom, any children’s book that makes my child excited about reading is valuable to me. I was thrilled to see him so engaged!

You can find both Wizard and the Lizard and Wizard and the Lizard: Wacky Weather on Amazon. Check them out!

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For more information about the books and the author, check out Katie Reed’s official website.