Cesar Takes a Break

By Susan Collins Thoms and Roge

When the children are away...the animals will play. Susan Collins Thoms makes a sparkling picture book debut with this hilarious story of class pets on the loose; colorful and humorous pictures by Qubcois artist Rog add to the great fun. Life is great for Cesar the iguana. After all, he went from living in Pets-A-Plenty to an excellent new home in Ms. Lee's elementary school classroom--with 25 best friends to pamper him. But now spring break has arrived, the kids are gone, and poor Cesar's a puddle of sadness. Until... he takes a vacation too ! From classroom to classroom he wanders, meeting all the other school pets and making hilarious notes in his journal. Before long, he's feasting on strawberries, dancing the Iguana Shuffle, and playing hockey in the teacher's lounge. Will he ever want to return to his cage? Cesar's having a blast--and young readers will too!

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402736533
• ISBN13: 9781402736537
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Sterling
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.4" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Cesar's Heart Warming Story

Susan Collins Thoms account of a classroom pet iguana called Caesar who is a "puddle of sadness" when Spring Break leaves him alone and lonely captivates and entertains young readers. They identify with his misery and then with his adventures as he too takes a break. The illustrations by Roge are delightful and enrich the account of Cesar's escapades. Young readers find themselves involved in his adventures and his decision making as "Back to School Day" approaches.

family treasure

You know that book that you are asked to read every night? Yeah, it's like that!

worth it

I am always looking for a book that a boy would like to read, one that has their interests. So many are geared for girls. This was a really good book.

Teachers Will Love Cesar

Teachers will love this humorous look at school through the eyes of a roaming class pet. When Cesar, the class iguana, decides to explore the school on spring break, he tells his story through a journal that records his adventures and feelings. The format itself is a great model for young journal writers. Teachers wanting to introduce concepts such as voice and word choice will also have a lot to work with here. The end notes include factual information about iguanas; students could find places in the story that illustrate those facts. Besides all this, the book is just a delightful read. The warm and colorful illustrations bring an already engaging story to life.