I Wanna Iguana

I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff
Illustrated by David Catrow
2004

     Alex wants an iguana.  He REALLY wants and iguana, so he has to convince his mom to let him have one.  The story is told via letters that go back and forth between Alex and his mom.  There are some really funny parts, like when Alex says that the iguana will be like the little brother he never had.  To which his mother simply replies: "Dear Alex, you have a brother".
     My students and my son all love this book and laughed aloud many times during the read-aloud. I have to confess though, that I'm not a big fan of the illustrations, although my students thought they were hilarious.   It's a great book to use in the classroom as an example for persuasive writing as well as a good intro to friendly letters.