I Wanna Iguana
Using I Wanna Iguana to Teach Persuasive Writing and Social-Emotional Skills
Karen Kaufman Orloff’s I Wanna Iguana is a humorous and engaging picture book told entirely through letters between a young boy, Alex, and his mother. When Alex’s friend moves away and can’t keep his pet iguana, Alex sets out to convince his mom to let him adopt it. Through a series of persuasive letters, he promises to be responsible and highlights how owning the iguana would even be educational. His mother responds thoughtfully, raising practical concerns about the pet’s size, care, and the impact on the household. In the end, she reluctantly agrees to let him try—though the story closes with a playful twist as Alex begins writing to ask for another pet (Orloff, 2004; Goodreads, 2004).
This book offers rich opportunities for classroom instruction. As a mentor text, it provides a clear and accessible model for persuasive and letter writing, allowing students to analyze how tone, reasoning, and emotional appeal contribute to effective argument. Teachers can guide students in exploring both Alex’s and his mother’s points of view, deepening comprehension and critical thinking. The book also lends itself naturally to lessons on responsibility and communication, supporting social-emotional learning by modeling respectful dialogue and compromise (Durgin, 2024; Comprehension Connection, 2024).
In practice, I Wanna Iguana can serve as the centerpiece for a variety of writing and reading activities. Students can identify Alex’s persuasive strategies, connect them to real-life experiences, and then craft their own persuasive letters about something they’d like to convince someone of. These activities reinforce opinion writing standards and help students develop reasoning, empathy, and expressive language (Musings from the Middle School, 2016; ERIC, 2025).
References
Comprehension Connection. (2024, December 16). How to teach persuasive writing like a boss with I Wanna Iguana. https://www.comprehensionconnection.net/2019/10/how-to-teach-persuasive-writing-with-i.html
Durgin, J. (2024, September 18). I Wanna Iguana activities and lesson plans for 2025. https://jodidurgin.com/i-wanna-iguana-activities-lesson-plans
Goodreads. (2004). I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/961711.I_Wanna_Iguana
Musings from the Middle School. (2016, August 11). I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff and David Catrow: Writing with mentor texts series. https://musingsfromthemiddleschool.org/2016/08/i-wanna-iguana-by-karen-kaufman-orloff-and-david-catrow-writing-with-mentor-texts-series.html
Orloff, K. K. (2004). I Wanna Iguana. G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
U.S. Department of Education, ERIC. (2025). I Wanna Iguana: Persuasive literacy development. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1278694.pdf