In this raucous adventure, genetically modified lizards Rodney, Booger, and Stump are deemed a threat and thrown into a dump, but the resilient reptiles find their way out to freedom and make friends—and get caught up in hijinx—along the way, all as the government tries to hunt them down. Written in rhyme and told in three parts, Richardson’s tale finds the intrepid trio getting into and out of trouble but always sticking together. The wacky lizards are characterized as messy and unintelligent but are ultimately harmless to, and maybe even good for, the humans they encounter. Lab Lizards is as imaginative as it is silly, sure to charm jokesters and daydreamers alike.

Though the premise revolves around a science experiment gone wrong, it’s unclear why the lizards would have supernatural abilities such as shapeshifting and unbreakables bones while also being “dumb,” “dumber,” and “stupid.” Richardson’s textured digital illustrations, though, are funny, engaging, and at crucial moments evocative, capturing both a spirit of comic-book fun in the scratchy linework and inventive character design, but also a spirit of adventure in the vistas, backdrops, and unexpected encounters. (A tea party and a convertible towing an Airstream trailer are special delights, as are Richardson’s depictions of the American west.)

Despite a plot that wanders, and terse rhymed text that mainly sets up the images, Lab Lizards delivers a playful story that doesn’t take itself too seriously and finds delight in unlikely scenarios, especially as the crew dons human disguises to help elude the classic men-in-black government pursuers. Prioritizing friendship and camaraderie above just about everything else (other than eating, making mischief, and escaping), Rodney, Booger, and Stump show readers that even nonhumans have something to show us and that they can be our friends too. Even if not everyone has access to genetically engineered lizards.

Takeaway: Three lizards go on a rollicking adventure and make friends along the way.

Great for fans of: Todd Sturgell’s Except Antarctica, Elise Parsley’s If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don't!.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-