From Aleena Ortiz, Clarion Reviews:

. . . Jimmi and Wise Dog meet a lizard, a turtle, a hen, and a gopher. Each animal shares its story in a sentimental, rhyming format, and each story is laced with somber morality and introspection. For the gopher, for example, “juicy roots” are akin to a pirate’s treasure, while silver and gold are mere tin. And the Lizard knows that he must reconcile himself to his past by letting his tail go, remarking:

I drop one tail and grow another

as Lizards use a single rudder

to chase the sun and catch the light

before today becomes the night.

The accompanying illustration of the lizard on a magic carpet evokes a message of letting go. And elsewhere, a turtle’s shell is depicted as a home with windows, doors, and a chimney.

The illustrations are fanciful, creative, and carefree, evoking coloring books, handcrafted work, and collages. They feature stark yellows, greens, blues—the colors that shape the pages . . . And the settings are enlivened by flowers, stars, and fruits, shown in eye-catching patterns of movement.

In the vibrant picture book What the Lizard Said, two friends are made privy to the lessons learned by fellow animals.