Two children’s books featuring garter snakes have recently come to my attention — both, coincidentally, by Canadians.

The Serpent’s Spell by Rae Bridgman is a fantasy novel: two young sorcerers must solve the mystery of who is responsible for the deaths of snakes at the Narcisse snake dens; ages 9-12 and up. I’ve got a copy on order and should have more to say about this book shortly.

Vernon and the Snake by Crystal J. Stranaghan is aimed at ages 4-9. “[Vernon] just wants to play, but comes across a garter snake in his backyard. He suits up, ready to do battle — but there’s another side of the story,” the the Parksville Qualicum News reports. “Stranaghan provides two points of view: Vernon’s and the snake’s. One just has to flip over the book to see what the snake thinks of Vernon. Eventually, the two find a way to live peacefully together by learning about each other — a valuable lesson which can be applied elsewhere.”

Buy The Serpent’s Spell and Vernon and the Snake at Amazon.com.