Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. A fascinating look at the life cycle of the giant saguaro cactus and its place in the desert ecosystem. On a hot, dry day, a fruit from a tall saguaro falls and splits open on the desert floor. One of its thousands of tiny seeds is carried on a rat's whisker to a shady spot beneath a paloverde tree, where it sprouts after a heavy rain. Over the next 150 years, despite the harsh desert conditions, the saguaro grows 50 feet tall and to a weight of eight tons. Most intriguingly, it becomes a "hotel" to a variety of birds, bats, insects, and rats that make their homes in pecked-out holes in the cactus' flesh. Guiberson's simple, understandable text gives an enjoyable lesson in desert ecology. Crisply attractive illustrations in color pencil and watercolor show the beauty of the desert landscape and its variety of wildlife. A one-page afterword provides additional information about the saguaro. ~--Leone McDermott
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The intriguing life cycle of the saguaro cactus and the complex web of life that characterizes the North American Sonoran desert is effectively explored in this involving picture book. Guiberson's text captures the reader with its steady pace and often delightful echoes of cumulative nursery tales. She weaves an amazingly large range of facts into this simple story of a fragile ecosystem, and helps children comprehend just how much plants and animals depend upon one another for their survival. Lloyd's ( The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything ) paintings evoke the desert landscape with their pastel-shaded palette, changing point of view and finely rendered scenes of native flora and fauna. Best used as a read-aloud, this is a fine prequel to Barbara Bash's more extensive and detailed Desert Giant . Ages 4-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-- Text and illustrations successfully meld to tell this story of the slow-growing saguaro. The plant's 200-year life cycle from seed to final deterioration is presented chronologically. This sequential approach clearly demonstrates plant development and adaptation techniques for survival in a desert habitat. The symbiotic relationship of plant and animal at various stages of growth is shown as birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects visit the cactus. Muted double-page illustrations provide a landscape background for the brighter hues of the cactus flowers and the creatures that come to visit. These illustrations are a gentle contrast to the boldness of Desert Giant (Little, 1989) by Barbara Bash and complement the photographs in The Hidden Life of the Desert (Crown, 1990) by Thomas Wiewandt. --Diane Nunn, Richard E. Byrd Elementary School, Glen Rock, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A satisfying story of the slow growth and continued usefulness of a saguaro cactus, from the accidental placement of the seed to its final fall after two hundred years, during which time it offered food and shelter to many desert creatures. Illustrations show the cactus and its inhabitants from unusual angles. From HORN BOOK 1991, (c) Copyright 2010. 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
On the same level and covering the same ground as Bash's Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus (1989), another clear, well-illustrated look at this pivotal contributor to the ecology of the Southwest. Bash's volume is a bit handsomer and includes the uses of the saguaro by Native Americans; but Lloyd's attractive illustrations are more finely detailed. A good second resource. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 5+)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
