Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Danticat (Mama's Nightingale) anecdotally explores a grandparent's words through the eyes of young Leila, who dons her seldom-worn down jacket on an unusually cold Miami morning. As the girl heads to school, Grandma Issa says something unexpected: "Watch out for falling iguanas." While the family drives, Mama wonders if Grandma Issa meant to warn about the coconuts that sometimes fall from palms, the hen and chicks they spot crossing the street, or the peacock they observe standing on the sidewalk. But Leila knows what she heard, and after she sees an iguana tumble from a tree, teacher Ms. Benoit takes the class outside to observe, sharing fascinating facts about iguanas. The ectotherms, which rely on warm weather for continued bloodflow, can experience their legs and bodies falling asleep on a cold day--leading to their dropping from the branches they usually clutch. Thin-lined illustrations by Moss (I Am a Promise) capture green Miami landscapes and plenty of iguanas throughout this family story that reveals one animal's unexpected nature. The family has brown skin; background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4--8. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--3--Leila is happy to get to wear her winter coat, since she rarely needs it in Miami. Then, as she's leaving for school, Leila is surprised when Grandma Issa tells her to "Watch out for falling iguanas." As they drive, her mother suggests perhaps it's chickens crossing the road or peacocks on the sidewalk that Leila is supposed to watch out for, but Leila knows what she heard. When she sees an iguana fall from a tree, no one else does. Papa asks if it was a cat and her friends tease her about thinking the sky is falling, per the story of Chicken Little. Leila is vindicated when her teacher takes the class for a walk to show them some fallen iguanas and to explain why they are on the ground. Moss's realistic illustrations do an excellent job of depicting the substance of Danticat's plentiful text, which is nicely integrated into the illustrations. VERDICT Use of thought/speech bubbles, the variety of half-page and full spreads, and highlights of a falling iguana make the illustrations a delight, especially with facts along the way.--Catherine Callegari
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