Mr. Green Peas

ISBN 0688128599 - Printed in Singapore. The bright, super colorful cover caught my attention immediately and I knew, without having a clue what the book was about, that I had to read this one. My copy was bought used at the library and it was clear I wasn't the only one who HAD to read it - dozens of tears on the edges of the pages told me that lots of young readers had gotten to it first. I liked it so much that I spent an hour just repairing the damage so I could keep it! Norman loves everything about nursery school until the day that the teacher brings up pets. It turns out everyone except Norman has a pet. At home, his parents tell him why he can't have a pet - his father has allergies, his mother's afraid of rodents and a bird would be annoying - so he tries broad hints, to no avail. Then, one day, his father comes home with a temporary pet. They'll iguana-sit Mr Slope's boss's iguana for one month a year while he goes on vacation. Norman is quite excited, but no one believes in his outrageous pet until he has the class stop by for a special field trip. The tiny possible negatives - the teacher's name is Toni. No Miss, Ms, or Mrs, which suits me just fine but might be an issue for some parents. Mrs Slope's excuse for not wanting a hamster or gerbil is so ridiculously girly that it bugged me and her scream of "It's a monster!" when she saw the iguana was just inane, although kids will laugh. Beyond that, it's a cute story that kids will like, particularly the pre-school aged crowd. The illustrations inside take up every other page and are nowhere near as vibrant as the cover, but they're fun. I laughed when Norman brings in a picture he's drawn of his iguana and no one believes him - over his shoulder, there appears to be a boy making the rotating "cuckoo" sign next to his head. Author and illustrator Judith Caseley has put together a book that I've made room for on my "gosh, someday I'll have grandkids" shelf. - AnnaLovesBooks