Deserts

by Gail Gibbons

An introduction to the characteristics of deserts and the plants and animals that inhabit them.

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Nature, Nonfiction, Animals, Geography, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

From gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.

Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since deserts comprise one fifth of the planet, according to the text, they matter. But despite their temperatures and lack of moisture, they are still home to many species of animals and plants. This introduction to deserts contains maps showing where they are, their unique characteristics, and it profiles plants such as cacti, yucca, and mesquite as well as creatures found in the desert: scorpions, stink beetles, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and camels. In this updated version, the author also points out concerns about the deserts' natural resources, which are often plundered. As always with books by this author, the watercolor paintings are accurate, visually appealing, and labeled, making this a good choice for an elementary science classroom library.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gail Gibbons offers wonderfully illustrated books that are informative for many ages. This book on deserts is just one example of a perfect combination of watercolor pictures and writing to stimulate the minds of the young and old.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Gail Gibbons informational text made more interesting with artwork with labeled pictures and definitions. Learn all about the desert and it’s inhabitants.

[Nicole Gustafson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book talks about how deserts are formed and which characteristics make up a desert. This book has color illustration and centers on the flora and fauna that are prevalent in this dry climate. The author makes sure to include some informational text about natural resources that are found under the desert floors, due to the length of the book there is not much detail about natural resources. This author also briefly touches on animals and people that live in the desert, but once again does not go into depth.

This book fits within the informational text category because the author goes into some detail about deserts and scratches the surface and gives some detail. I would recommend this to classroom teachers as a beginner resource that intrigues students to want to know more. This would not be a good content resource that gets used for all information, but as a starter book to figure out which subject to pick for a project or report this will suffice. The author uses colorful illustrations to speak to the audience and uses a nice balance of white space with her visuals and the text. Even though this story does not go into extensive details, it makes up for that by the superb graphics.

A great mentor text that talks about deserts would be the Cat and the Hat version: Why Oh Why Are Deserts Dry?: All About Deserts by Tish Rabe

[Hana Sm. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 30 page informational book is fantastic. I don't know why anybody would rate it less than 5 stars. This book describes exactly what a desert is and where they are found (it has a map of the U.S., Mexico and shows where other deserts are found around the world). I didn't know that every continent had a desert except for Europe! I also learned why most deserts are cool at night–it's because there is no cloud cover to hold the heat. I also didn't know that the Sahara desert is about the size of the entire United States!! This book has taught me many things that I didn't know and I'm an adult!!
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Most American kids have never been to a desert. This book has so much information in it that I would chop it into parts. Kids would study the physical appearance of the desert, then learn about the plants, then the animals, then the people. A class could write about one characteristic of the desert that they found interesting and perhaps write a short story about what they would do if they spent one day or night in the desert.

[Christina Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A second grade student read Deserts to me while observing at Northaven Elementary. Informational books tend to be boring for students to read for a long period of time, especially a second grader. However, the illustrations matched the text well, which made it easier to get through. Basically, it was a book about where deserts are, what plants and insects live there, what the weather's like, ect. I would definitely use this book is I were doing a lesson on different climates.

[Sheniqua · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an informational book about deserts and their characteristics. It also includes information about animals and plants that flourish in the desert. I would use info from this book and have it available in the classroom for student use. This book can be used for third graders as they discuss different habitats and the organisms dependence on the habitat.

[Margaret Chind]

[Colleen]

Cactus & Canyons - unit 5
Nonfiction

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at deserts and the life that lives within them. The illustrations were unique and fit the feeling of the book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

ATOS 4.1