Desert Song

by Laekan Zea Kemp, Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez (Illustrator)

A family joins the music of the Texas desert night in this tale of tradition and memory from Pura Belpré Honor author Laekan Zea Kemp.

It starts with a soft tapping,
Uncle Eduardo drumming his
hands against his dusty jeans.

As the blush of sunset gives way to night in the desert, coyotes, cicadas, and barn owls emerge, each calling out to the moon. Watching from their porch, the family joins the song. One by one, each relative offers their drums, flute, maracas, strings, and voices.

They sing with the insects, birds, snakes and toads; and they sing with their ancestors, an audience glittering in the stars overhead. With each strum of passed-down instruments, memories renew, and those gone are alive and near again.

Desert Song hums and chimes with all the music a front porch and the desert beyond can hold. Pura Belpré Honor author Laekan Zea Kemp’s masterfully stirring text dances through Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez’s enchanting and dynamic artwork. Readers will be left with the soothing sense that when creativity flourishes, the past is never out of reach, and the bonds that matter never break.

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Family, Nature, Childrens, Latinx, Fiction

Unknown Binding

About the author

Laekan Zea Kemp is a writer living in Austin, Texas. Her debut novel, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet was a 2022 Pura Belpré Honor Recipient. She has three objectives when it comes to storytelling: to make people laugh, cry, and crave Mexican food. Her work celebrates Chicane grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health.

Find her on social media @LaekanZeaKemp
http://www.laekanzeakemp.com/

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years ago, I did a library display of books in the desert and I was surprised that there aren't more picture books. Coming from the desert myself, I've always been amazed by how beautiful the desert is. This picture book captures that beauty exactly -- at day and at night. Alongside the stunning desert scenes, a family starts to make music which calls the desert animals out and shows how the family connects to their ancestors.

[Steena Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being born and raised in the wide open skies of West Texas, Llano Estacado region, I related to many references in this beautiful story. The musical flow of lyrical text and warm illustrations give a glance into the vast desert spaces. Readers will feel a connection to their own surroundings, and get a sense of their place in a big world.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story & the artwork!

[Diana C. Kobylak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story about a Latina family and the instruments they play in nature and in remembrance of ancestors.

[Amaris Castillo]

In the opening of the picture book, 'Desert Song,' readers are brought into the harsh yet gorgeous desert landscape. A greater roadrunner looks into the distance, at the red-orange sun as it sets. There’s a row of distinct plants – prickly pear cacti among them. And nearby is a comfortable-looking house with a porch swing.

“The sun rules in the desert, telling us when to rise and when to sleep,” writes author Laekan Zea Kemp. “The sun sits atop the mountain while cracklings snap and hiss on the stove.”

Desert Song brings forth a story about the music that hums over one Texas desert night. The coyotes, cicadas and giant barn owls begin their song. And soon, the family in the big home joins in with music of their own. There’s Uncle Eduardo who drums his hands against his jeans, and the main character’s sister, Esme, who plays her maracas. Desert Song is both tender and larger-than-life; about the harmony between animals and humans, as well as the ancestral connections. Illustrations by Beatriz Gutiérrez Hernández are very detailed and breathe even more life to this story set in the desert.

I spoke with Kemp about the inspiration behind 'Desert Song' for Latinx in Publishing. You can read our full conversation here: https://latinxinpublishing.com/blog/d...

[Mariana Ríos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book, which is written in such a beautiful way that the words really transported me to another place filled with soft music, slower pace and nature's rhythms. Laekan Zea Kemp truly has a way of finding the perfect words, so that the text sounds poetic, like a song.

I also loved that the book is about family and ancestors, and how we stay connected through time, not just to our loved ones but to our surroundings as we are one with nature. This is such a universal and powerful message, that I found very inspiring. I also enjoyed reading the author and illustrator notes at the end of the book, it helped me understand how close this book is to their hearts and personal experiences.

The illustrations by Beatriz Gutiérrez are gorgeous, full of details, and work perfectly well with the text. I am sure that children will enjoy reading this book which seems like a perfect read a loud.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely artwork, created with acrylic gouache, colored pencil, and Photoshop, captures the intense beauty of the desert in this picture book [3.5 for me!]. It seems that everything happens according to the dictates of Mother Nature, and the poetic text ["sky blushes" and "calling down the wind," for instance] pays tribute to the place. At dusk and nightfall, various animals send out calls, and the members of this particular family respond with their own musical accompaniment. As they sing and play instruments, they also are reminded of those who have gone before them. This gentle book reminds readers to honor their past, but also to listen and take note of what's happening around them. Life, love, and connections can be found in the desert--or anywhere, for that matter--if one cares to look.

[Aixa Perez-Prado · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful and lyrical picture book tells the story of family unity through song and shared experience. As the narrative builds, so do the sounds and sensations of a desert evening filled with all of the creatures that make it a unique and precious environment. It is a quiet tribute to nature and family that honors the magic that comes with every sunrise, sunset and starry night experienced in the great outdoors. Children will enjoy imagining and imitating the sounds and described and locating the different sound producers in the images. I would recommend this both for classrooms that are exploring different environments and the people and animals who inhabit them as well as for families to integrate into their bedtime routine.

[Emoen Meadors · Rating 4 out of 5]

Date: 2024
Award: Tomas Rivera Award
Genre: picture books, music, family, Latinx
This book takes place in the Texas desert at sundown, a family gathers on their porch to play instruments. They harmonize with the nocturnal creatures of the desert, feeling a connection with their ancestors and cultural roots through music. This book could be used to teach literacy or asking your students what kind of music reminds them of their family or culture. I liked how this book informational, teaching about the desert animals and instructions while also being lyrical and free-verse. It’s a great book about the Latinx community.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nature here is part of the nightly song the family plays and sings together. I LOVE that the song is a way not only to celebrate nature and family but also to celebrate family members that went before. Lovely Chicane Joy book from a Pura Belpre Honor winner! It is important to me that the animals portrayed are all from one ecosystem: coyotes, cicadas, barn owls, the sun, rattlesnakes, wind, the cricket, Cacti, bees, night birds, horned toads and finally the rain on the roof sounding like applause!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A multigenerational family living in a desert enjoying being together in the evening with family members young and old playing instruments and remembering.
Also they are very keyed into the night noises and the animals that are making the sounds.
This is a desert setting with Hispanic culture and it does represent what families living in a rural setting many times do in the evenings after their work of the day is accomplished, they chat with each other, listen to night noises, and look at the stars.
Title is nicely done.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Hispanic family that lives in the desert comes together one evening to make music and remember relatives who have passed on. There are a couple Spanish words sprinkled throughout this book, but there is no translation anywhere to be found. This could make it difficult to read for some young K-3rd readers. The illustrations were created with acrylic, gouache, colored pencil, and then edited digitally. They are very soft and rich in blues as the transition to nighttime comes. (Diamond 25-26)

[Allison Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Date: 2024
Award: Tomas Rivera Award
Genre: Picturebook, realistic fiction

Summary: In this book, it follows a Texan family that music is a very big part of their lives. It follows through the family and their culture with their love of music throughout the Texan desert at night. I thought that this book was super interesting as it slowly built more and more music into the story. I would use this book in my future classroom to teach students about how different families and cultures use music to represent themselves.

[John Mullarkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picture book about a family, music, and a lifelong connection to the setting which is the Southwest. It is a very lyrical story with beautiful artwork that captures the essence of life in the desert. There are lots of sensory imagery musical references to wildlife in the desert that truly makes it unique and a great story to share with a class or small group. A fine ¨story starter¨, or introduction to vivid sensory storytelling or poetry.

[Delia Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lyrical, beautiful story about the grand beauty around us when you feel small in a giant world. Through music, stories, and family bonding, the main character finds connection in the desert (connecting back to the family's ancestors). The artwork is another masterpiece that combines DESERT SONG into a visual beauty. Definitely worth checking out!

[Jackie Morera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had an opportunity to read an e-ARC of Desert Song and absolutely adored it. This lyrical story transports you to a vibrant and cozy desert home where we meet a loving and musical family whose song reminds us of our deep connection to everything and everyone who came before. Desert Song is a beautiful story for readers of all ages!

[Paola Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book of Laekan Zea Kemp is an ode to the desert. Words like songs tell a story through the rhythms of nature and the sounds of the sun, moon, family, and ancestors. The gentleness of the illustrations by Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez adds to the sweetness of each word resulting in a truly stunning book.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely, and important, (for Diverse Voices and for history). Author and illustrator both contributed notes. I read for the coyote, who is the most significant of the wild characters.

Ultimately, though, I cannot give it more than three stars for my personal rating because I have no idea how to share it with children, and I wasn't enchanted as I feel others probably are.

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review copy from Edelweiss.

This is a lyrical picture book that will probably go over kids' heads. It's on the more poetic side and if you're looking for picture books like that, this is worth checking out. I appreciate the message of family, music, tradition, and nature, but not my favorite.

[Alexandra Alessandri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and lyrical, DESERT SONG explores the connections we have with nature, with each other, and with our ancestors. Told through a child's perspectives, we hear the sounds of the desert and the music of his family, and we discover how we're all connected. The language is gorgeous and the illustrations are stunning.

[Ana Siqueira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a masterpiece, that all I can say is

Beautiful. A masterpiece of words, music, art, and heart.

Get your copy, read it under the stars, listen to the music, observe the animals, and your heart will pound like the drums and maracas in this story.

[Romy Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this picture book about a family gathering together as a day in the dessert winds down. A lovely ode to family traditions as well as a look at the desert ecosystem. Illustrations capture the intimacy of a family gathering along with the vast expanse of the desert.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We play to the glittering sky overhead, an audience of our ancestors. Face turned up, I breathe in the faint smell of rain." This is a beautifully illustrated, thoughtfully written book about ties to nature and ancestors and the desert environment where one family lives.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood with a musical family in a desert setting connecting one to the enormous sky, insects, animals, loved ones past and present. Lovely little book will fill your heart with belonging to the greater world.

[Isaac Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that contains excellent illustrations, and while there is no story on the surface, the picture that the book paints with drawings and snippets about the family results in a story being told between the lines of what is presented.

[Annabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has majestic prose and illustrations. It's a trifecta of my favorite things: family, music, and the desert.

[Sara Fajardo]

Poetic meditation on family and the music of our world. A great resource for teachers working on units about the sense of hearing or how to use poetic descriptive language in writing.

[Ana Velez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully illustrated quiet yet musical book.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations and a great tool to introduce kids to instruments.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found in L4L Volume 120. (Mentions singing to ancestors who live in the stars in one line but it can easily be skipped).