Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Textured collages encourage appreciation for the Sonoran Desert in Baker's marvelous book about a child, portrayed with tan skin, who awakens to the wonders of a desert landscape. After the protagonist's backpack, and the beloved tablet inside, go missing during a visit, the young subject becomes acquainted with the environment surrounding Grandpa's childhood home in the subtropical desert. First-person narration models a growing awareness as the child becomes lost and afraid, then learns to perceive "what wonders show themselves." When an afternoon storm causes the youth to take cover in a cave, it's a chance for the narrator to encounter not only a previous source of fear, but also prehistoric art that signals further wonder. Cacti glochids nearly prick from the pages as standout three-dimensional art communicates both the dry scratchiness of the environment and its quiet biodiversity, vividly capturing a frequently misunderstood place. An author's note concludes. Ages 5--8. (May)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
While visiting his grandfather in the Sonoran Desert of Baja California, a boy learns to love the outdoors, an environment he had previously feared ("I never wander far from home because I think coyotes will take me"). When he first arrives at his grandfather's, the boy prefers to play on his tablet, but in time (and thanks to the loss of said tablet) his grandfather is able to introduce him to the plants and animals of the vast protected desert. "This valley is full of secrets, chico. Open your heart, listen, and see what wonders show themselves." As the main character loses his fear of the natural world, he begins to appreciate its beauty and diversity -- and even comes face-to-face with a coyote. Baker's (Home, rev. 3/04; Circle, rev. 5/16) signature three-dimensional collage illustrations, with their rich colors and textures, bring the desert habitat to life. Vines climb up the pages, snakes seem to slither atop the sand, and cacti look as if they could poke you if you carelessly touch a page. Back matter includes a map, information about the Valle de los Cirios in the Sonoran Desert, and a note on Baker's motivation for creating the book. (c) Copyright 2024. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A child learns greater appreciation for the previously ignored desert around him after a coyote steals his backpack--and his gaming tablet. Inspired, she writes, by a long research trip to the Sonoran Desert's Valle de los Cirios, located in Arizona and Baja California, and by studies indicating that deserts are actually richer in pollinator diversity than rainforests, Baker carpets the rocky, sandy landscapes in her beautiful low-relief collage illustrations with realistically detailed ocotillo, cholla, and other succulents. So dense is the vegetation that a young narrator briefly loses his way after wandering off in search of the backpack he had left outside his grandfather's ranch house. Left with nothing better to do, he begins exploring--encountering local flora and fauna, collecting small mementos, and, climactically, sharing a cave with a coyote when a sudden storm blows up. And though the cave is empty when he returns, his grandpa claims that the animal is still there…pointing to an ancient image painted on the wall. From then on, even after he goes back to his village, the child's newly kindled love of his land's wonders remains. The author adds thoughts about how more and more children are subject to "nature-deficit disorder," an indifference to the natural world caused by isolation from, and ignorance of, the plants and animals around them. As this profoundly stirring tale hints, connection is the only cure. Both characters present Latine. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Rich in sights and insights alike. (map) (Informational picture book. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
