A warm, educational narrative about life in Mrs. Williams' back yard in Tucson, Arizona, as seen through the eyes of Mr. Lizard. Mr. Lizard tells about how he was saved from drowning, and the interactions between his animal friends. Mr. Turtle, a pesky dog named Patches, Mr. Squirrel, Mr. Horney Toad, and Pedro the tail-less lizard. Mrs. Williams writes about actual events she witnessed in her desert yard in a way that makes us all feel like family.