Ness clearly has a talent for balancing heart with mind-blowing silliness and whimsy. . . . All this is punctuated by Miller’s ink drawings of the characters, perfectly matching Ness’ equally deadpan recounting of the action. Yet in the end, it’s Zeke’s slow growth into a hero that will touch readers’ hearts, gargantuan pelican robot suits and tiny fighter jets notwithstanding. Heart and weirdness in equal measure prove you should never underestimate the power of a lizard!
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Ness and Miller, the dream team you never knew you needed, deliver an exceptional chapter book that explores bullying, stereotyping, grief, and friendship. . . . Sure to amuse and even move young middle-graders.
—Booklist (starred review)
Full of humor and heart, this is a must-buy for any school or public library. Hand to readers who love a good laugh but will also benefit from a quick lesson.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
[A] sincere, absurd anthropomorphic take on middle school. . . . Using over-the-top prose, Ness details characters tackling mundane yet serious issues surrounding economic disparity, school violence, anger management, and self-image in a tale that is both deeply relatable and humorously off-kilter. Expressively goofy ink line illustrations by Miller add whimsy and warmth.
—Publishers Weekly
Utterly original, absolutely brilliant, and delightfully surprising. This author-illustrator dream team have done one of the hardest things there is to do: put together a book that is at once profound and preposterously fun.
—Jarrett Lerner, author of A Work in Progress
Oh, man, I love this! A schoolyard romp with a cast of clever, heartfelt, hilarious characters from all across the animal kingdom. This Lizard Nobody is bound to be Somebody.
—Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell
Absolutely bananas and perfectly sweet—this world formed from Patrick Ness’s wild imagination and populated by Tim Miller’s huggable animals is one you will want to return to, for laughs and for the deeper themes of grief, bullying, and true friendship.
—Isabel Roxas, creator of the graphic novel series The Adventures of Team Pom
Wonderfully absurd.
—Bob Shea, author of Who Wet My Pants?
Readers will be cheering for Zeke, the largest lizard at school and the one with the most heart.
—Mika Song, author of Donut Feed the Squirrels
A pure absurd delight.
—Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production, School Library Journal
Anthropomorphic fun.
—Book Riot
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