Way Out in the Desert

My children, ages 1,3, 5, 7, absolutely LOVE this book (We have the board-book version). The rhyming is catchy and well-written. We live in Arizona, so they love reading about creatures we see everywhere. And they really get a kick out of finding the 'hidden' numbers. My 3 & 5-yr-old are always requesting it for bedtime storytime. They yell out the numbers as I read it, then we all count the creatures together. It's a great book for the whole family!

A great little book that shares some of the 'magic' of animal life in the desert. Engaging pictures and creative text. Too bad the board book version doesn't have the glossary that's mentioned in one of the 'offical' reviews. So in case you didn't know, "javelina" are medium-sized mammals of the family Tayassuidae, and an "ocotillo" is a desert plant that looks like dead sticks for much of the year, but grows small leaves during rainy periods.

I love reading this book to my son. He's now about a year and a half, though we've had this book for a year. I picked this book up for him on a trip to Arizona, because I like to collect books about the places we've been. This one was appropriate because it is about desert/southwest animals. It is a short counting book and it has a fun, rhythmic pattern to the words. The words are also simple with a repetitive pattern, so it makes great early "reading" for young kids (easily memorizable).The illustrations are beautiful, and I think it was a nice touch that there is a "hidden" number on each page.

SUMMARY:Clever usage of rhyme and song in a counting book which describes the animals and vegetation of the desert. Pictures are beautifully illustrated, animated but yet realistic. The book even includes a glossary and the sheet music.CRITICAL REVIEW:WAY OUT IN THE DESERT uses excellent rhyme and meter while the young reader searches for the hidden number within each picture. All the animals and vegetation are that of the Sonoran Desert. Each page briefly describes a characteristic of the creature and their habitat within the desert. The vocabulary is contextual in naming of the animals and plants of this desert. The remaining vocabulary is simple and repetitive. The counting scheme is the increasing number of each animal's babies. The pictures are wonderful. Each are vibrantly colored but the colors are representative of the real animal or plant. Each page has depth and texture and varies in perspective. It is a joy to look at and fun to read. Older readers would enjoy reading this book in discovery of the desert. It is best to read this to new or struggling readers-but do read it!CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS:This is an excellent book for all elementary ages. The basic skill is counting. From here it can expand in many directions, such as music, poetry, art, writing, creating special glossaries, studying the southwest states, desert life, desert plants and animals, habitats, food chains, botany, zoology, comparing and contrasting, etc. It can be used to create working groups within the classroom, each group being a different desert animal. The possibilities are endless. Meeting both authors is recommended. Both currently live in Tucson, AZ, and love the desert. I'm sure they have many stories to tell of their life there.BOOK LINKS: HOME AT LAST - Nicolas D. Matzirakis THE TORTOISE AND THE JACKRABBIT - Susan Lowell, Jim Harris (Illustrator) MANY NATIONS: AN ALPHABET OF NATIVE AMERICA - Joseph Bruchac, Robert Goetzl (Illustrator) ONE GREEN MESQUITE TREE - Gisela Jernigan, E. Wesley Jernigan (Illustrator) ANIMALIA - Graeme Base COUNTING ON THE WOODS - George Lyon, Ann Olson (Illustrator)BOOKS BY THE SAME ILLUSTRATOR: A CAMPFIRE FOR COWBOY BILLY - Wendy Ulmer HOW JACKRABBIT GOT HIS VERY LONG EARS - Heather Irbinshas

This fun book tells "lyric-like" tales of some of the main creatures found in the southwestern desert. You can almost hear music when you read it! It's very clever! I highly recommend it for toddlers to second graders. The illustrations are great too. A really cute book! Desert Songwriter/Patty Horn