Watch Out for Falling Iguanas

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)