Desert Digits: An Arizona Number Book

Barbara Gowan has done it again! Another wonderful book that teaches young readers about the Arizona desert... this time adding numbers to the mix. And the multi-layered content is perfect for the classroom! FYI, I understand Ms. Gowan has a new ABC book coming (again with Sleeping Bear Press) that reveals facts about deserts around the globe. Can't wait!

Desert Digits: An Arizona Number Book is a counting picturebook for young people that covers numbers 1-15, then 20, 30, and every number divisible by 10 up through 100. Each number has a simple sentence featuring it, a color illustration featuring that countable number of things or people, and an in-depth text sidebar of fun Arizona facts. "Pincushion, hedgehog, organ pipe, and 15 kinds of prickly pear - desert cacti with odd names, even a cholla called teddy bear." A wonderful read-aloud, look-and-find book to help familiarize young children with counting.

Mrs. Gowan's second Arizona book is the perfect complement to her first book, G is for Grand Canyon. Both rhyming books include sidebars with facts about Arizona that would be useful for a report on the state of Arizona, and there is even a nice glossary in the back. Desert Digits could also be used to help younger students practice counting by 5's and 10's. Everyone will enjoy the rhymes and illustrations. This book would be a great addition to school, classroom, or home libraries and I highly recommend it!