Tag Tim Miller

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody: The Hat of Great Importance

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Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody: The Hat of Great Importance
Patrick Ness, illustrated by Tim Miller
Walker Books

At the start of this second in Ness’s wry series, when Zeke the monitor lizard’s best friend Daniel turns up at the school bus stop wearing a large pink hat, Zeke is deeply disturbed. Surely it’s only birds – the top of the pecking order – that wear hats.

However, things get stranger still with the very tall tower – the Death Ray of Death – so Daniel surmises, is being built exactly where Pelicarnassus and his mum live. Does she intend to melt the school or focus it on Zeke exclusively? Plus Zeke learns that his buddies, Alicia and Daniel are visiting the Guidance Counsellor and have been told to spend their time exclusively with one another. Poor Zeke feels alienated and persuades himself that someone is out to get him.

Then the bus doesn’t turn up the following morning, melted by the Death Ray of Death and replaced by a van driven by a shrew. When the same shrew arrives on a bike after school, saying that the van was melted in his driveway, Zeke is certain it’s not the shrew that’s the real target of the Ray of Death, (rather it’s himself).
With the focus on the dynamics of friendships and themes of mental health and the willingness to share emotions, the author also further explores social inequality especially that between the lizards that live in the poorest part of town and other creatures in the school.

Once again Tim Miller’s illustrations are as droll as the words and are sure to bring plenty of smiles to readers’ faces.


Chronicles Of A Lizard Nobody

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Chronicles Of A Lizard Nobody
Patrick Ness, illustrated by Tim Miller
Walker Books

“ I’m making you both Hall Monitors,” Principal Wombat said, though she quickly added, “This isn’t because you’re monitor lizards.” So begins this laugh-out-loud school story with a difference , seemingly the first of a series, aimed at primary readers, from Carnegie medal winning Patrick Ness.
It’s not long before Zeke, one of the chosen two and rather large, demonstrates how incompetent he is at the role. He has an unpleasant encounter with the school bully Pelicarnassus (son of an international supervillain), punches him in the beak and loses his position as hall monitor.

Another problem for Zeke soon raises its head at school; it’s that due to an ancient family curse the entire country of France appeared on Zeke’s knee after the death of his father. Now his class is to study France and teacher Mr MacPherson has the lizard sitting on the edge of the teacher’s desk and is using the shape on Zeke’s knee as a visual aid. Add to that the fact that since his father’s death, Zeke’s mother has been suffering from depression and the young lizard has an awful lot to cope with. On the positive side, however, Zeke has some loyal, brave friends who are often on hand to offer wise words and to assist in his efforts to save their school.

Ness uses an anthropomorphic cast to present the sort of issues human children might face at school every day – bullying, intimidation, violence, fat-shaming and insensitivity to disabilities. His combination of splendid silliness, tenderness and poignancy works effectively, so much so that readers will find themselves laughing frequently. Making the whole thing even funnier are Tim Miller’s zany ink drawings. Underestimating a monitor lizard is not to be advised.