Copyright Date:
2018
Edition Date:
2018
Release Date:
02/10/18
Illustrator:
Jones, Veronica,
Pages:
1 volume (unpaged)
ISBN:
1-607-18066-9
ISBN 13:
978-1-607-18066-1
Dewey:
921
LCCN:
2017040946
Dimensions:
27 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
On a tiny island near St. Croix, Dr. Nicole Angeli searches for critically endangered ground lizards.A straightforward narrative follows the young, white herpetologist as she looks and listens for animals as part of her fieldwork. In her search she encounters a green walking-stick insect, a pearly-eyed thrasher, land crabs, and finally the tiny lizard, which she catches, weighs, measures, and puts back where she found it. These St. Croix ground lizards exist only on offshore islands because the mongooses farmers brought to control the rat population ate lizards and birds on the main island instead. The researcher and co-author—the titular "Lizard Lady"—is part of a scientific group working to save these reptiles through a conservation translocation project aiming to establish them on two additional islands. The simple text is printed in a large font over Jones' digital paintings, which include images of white scientists working with black island children as well as curiously static scenes of Nicole at work in a lush tropical setting and the wildlife. As is the case for other books from this publisher, the title, also available in Spanish as La dama de las Siguanas, features helpful backmatter (here, further information about the lizards, their adaptations, the scientist, and invasive species), making it particularly welcome in educational settings.A glimpse of science in the field for early readers. (map, learning activities) (Nonfiction. 5-8)
Bibliography Index/Note:
Includes bibliographical references.
Join the Lizard Lady as she cuts her way through thick Caribbean forests searching for critically endangered St. Croix ground lizards. Hunted to extinction on the island of St. Croix by invasive species brought by colonizing farmers, these lizards are now only found on surrounding islands in the US Virgin Islands. Readers learn that a day in a life of a woman scientist can be anything but boring. Co-author Nicole F. Angeli is the Lizard Lady--can she help save these animals? This work of narrative nonfiction includes a 4-page For Creative Minds section in the back of the book and a 30-page cross-curricular Teaching Activity Guide online. The Lizard Lady is vetted by experts and designed to encourage parental engagement. Its extensive back matter helps teachers with time-saving lesson ideas, provides extensions for science, math, and social studies units, and uses inquiry-based learning to help build critical thinking skills in young readers. The Spanish translation supports ELL and dual-language programs. The interactive ebook reads aloud in both English and Spanish with word highlighting and audio speed control to promote oral language skills, fluency, pronunciation, text engagement, and reading comprehension.