The Iguana Brothers, a Tale of Two Lizards

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. (Apr.)