Survival at 120 above

In a fascinating companion to Survival at 40 Below (2010), readers visit Australia's Simpson Desert, spending a day (and night) with the animals that can tolerate its punishing temperatures. Readers may be familiar with emus, red kangaroos, and skinks, but plenty of creatures-mulgaras, dunnarts, thorny devils-will be new to adults and children alike. Miller's prose incorporates significant detail about each animal's habits without sacrificing lyricism ("Filling her throat pouch with air, a female emu makes a drumming sound as she strides across the open woodland. She smells water"). Equally evocative are Van Zyle's acrylic paintings, drawn from photographs Miller took on a trip to the desert. Ages 7-10. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 3-5-Miller's brief but informative white-lettered text floats on Van Zyle's vivid, realistic illustrations in this look at the flora and fauna of the Simpson Desert in the hot, arid heart of the Australian outback. Goannas, thorny devils, emus, kangaroos, blue-tailed skinks, and other critters pop in and out of readers' vision, accompanied by interesting snippets of information (a ningaui "weighs as little as six paper clips" and hunts for beetles and spiders). Visited by a sudden downpour, cracked claypans turn into swampy ponds, allowing dormant eggs and seeds to develop and estivating animals to emerge from a twilight existence. Miller includes an extensive note about her visit to a research site with scientists from the University of Sydney and a brief list of websites and books for further investigation. Maps of Australia and the Simpson Desert decorate the end panels. A companion volume to Miller and Van Zyle's equally handsome look at the other end of Earth's thermostat, Survival at 40 Below (Walker, 2010), this is a nifty look at some very unusual adaptations to an extreme climate. Eye-catching and inviting.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.