La Dama de Las Siguanas

Helping Animals & Changing Habitats

by Jennifer Keats Curtis, Nicole F. Angeli, Veronica Jones (Illustrator)

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 scientists can be women and that the day in a life of a scientist can be anything but boring. Co-author Nicole F. Angeli IS the Lizard Lady--can she help save these animals?

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2018

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicole F. Angeli is known as the Lizard Lady by the inhabitants of St. Croix where she and others are engaged in a desperate effort to save ground lizards. After the introduction of mongooses to kill rats on the island and prevent the destruction of sugar cane, the lizards were almost annihilated by the invasive species. But scientists are attempting to introduce the lizards to other nearby islands or cays. This book follows the Lizard Lady as she checks the island for signs that the introduced lizards are surviving. The hope is that the lizards might be able to be reintroduced to St. Croix after the mongooses have been removed. I loved the deep involvement of this scientist in her important work as well as how the book describes an environmental problem but then offers a possible solution to that problem. The back matter includes four pages of activity pages featuring notes on adaptation, a map showing where all this science is taking place, information about the scientist and details about invasive species so readers will be able to understand why introducing new flora and fauna to an area can have disastrous consequences. This book may encourage more girls to consider careers in the sciences while inspiring many youngsters to consider a career that allows them to make a very real difference in the world. I'd certainly include this title in a science classroom library.

[Janet Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lizard Lady written by Jennifer Keats Curtis and Dr. Nicole F. Angeli, with illustrations by Veronica V. Jones is a lovely introduction into the work of a woman scientist as she conducts her research.

The text is written in a warm narrative voice that immediately draws the reader into the story. At the same time, Curtis weaves in important facts about the history of the lizards and interesting details about of how they survive. Readers will discover the ways in which Dr. Nicole F. Angeli, the Lizard Lady, works to find and protect the endangered lizards that were once prominent on St. Croix, but now, can only be found on neighboring islands.

Lovely illustrations coupled with maps and graphics provide an additional layer of richness.

The book concludes with a section titled: For Creative Minds, which provides additional reading on St. Croix and the Surrounding Islands, St. Croix Ground Lizards, Adaptations, Dr. Nicole F. Angeli, Herpetologist, and Invasive Species. A 30-page cross curricular Teaching Activity Guide is available online. The book is also available in Spanish.

Recommended for children 4-9. A wonderful edition for school and home libraries.

[Amy Siracusano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This informational story, written by Jennifer Keats Curtis, is filled with interesting facts and tidbits about the St. Croix ground lizard. Young children will be inspired by the work that Dr. Angeli is doing on the island of St. Croix. Fill with beautiful images and text features, this text could be used to not only teach adaptations, but map skills, and the importance of journaling. I see this book being used in writer’s workshop as well, helping students to understand how to structure informational in an interesting way for the reader. This is a must read for students and teachers in elementary school.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a scientist who tracks lizards in St. Croix as we try to re-populate an island.

As a side-effect, we learn about how mongooses were introduced and caused the extinction of many native species.

[Jacob Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This non-fiction book tells the story of a woman who rescues and rehabilitates injured lizards. It's a great educational read for kids who are interested in learning about reptiles.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brief book takes a look at the scientific work of Dr. Nicole Angeli as she strives to help save the endangered St. Croix ground lizards. Dr. Angeli is one of the co-authors of the book and adds a legitimacy to the story. This narrative nonfiction gives young readers a glimpse into what it's like to be a field scientist and the importance of what they do. The story follows Dr. Angeli as she searches for a lizard, finds one, and gathers data about it to help her studies. As with other Arbordale titles, this book contains suggested activities and additional information at the end of the book, making it especially useful for teaching and families that like to extend their reading.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audience: grades 1-4
Curriculum connection: science, scientists, biology, zoology, extinction, lizards, herpetology, effects of introducing non-native/invasive species to an environment

This is an interesting story if not a bit didactic in its presentation.
I'm not a fan of the illustrations, but I AM a fan of the back matter.

Text Features include a map, questions to encourage interaction with the map, additional information on the species, mini-lesson on adaptation, and bibliographic details of the herpetologist.