Children's Books Featuring the Sonoran Desert
Perfect for classroom lessons with a focus on STEM, STEAM and units of study on biomes.
There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea
by Jennifer Ward illustrated by Steve Gray ISBN 978-0873588980
Purchase There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea at Amazon or wherever fine books are sold.
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Award-winning author Jennifer Ward presents "There was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea", a whimsical children's picture book offering an outrageous take on a traditional children's song. Following the exploits of a hungry coyote who sets out to gulp down everything in sight - and the perplexed appetizers socializing in his tummy, "There was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea" blends the vibrant, cartoony art of Steve Gray and singsong rhythm to create a rollicking, funny tale. - Midwest Book Review
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Buckeye Public Library: There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea is now featured as primary architecture inside Buckeye Public Library's "Coyote Branch", housing the children's books and creating a fun space for readers to enjoy books and the library. Below, authorJennifer Ward and illustrator Steve Gray check out their book in its larger than life format.
The Sunhat
by Jennifer Ward
illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson Purchase The Sunhat at Amazon or wherever fine books are sold.
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Ward and Sisson transplant the wintry folktale of “The Mitten” to a warmer climate in this desert-themed retelling. Instead of cramming themselves into a red mitten for warmth, eight desert animals take shelter from a storm underneath a floppy red sunhat that blew away from a schoolgirl named Rosa. “Rain was whipping. Fox was dripping. Move over, mouse. Share, hare.” Sisson’s (Thank You, Miss Doover) smudgy, mixed-media desert scenes teem with plant and animal life and the excitement of a summer storm, and Rosa and the animals exude personality. Rosa even recovers her hat—it’s now large enough to swallow her entire head and much of her shoulders, but she doesn’t mind, “Because sometimes a hat fits just like that.” Ages 4–8. - Publishers Weekly |
Because You Are My Baby
by Jennifer Ward
illustrated by Sylvia Long Purchase Because You Are My Baby at Amazon or wherever fine books are sold.
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Outside the cozy desert home of a human mother and her baby, Ward (Way Up In the Arctic) and Long (A Seed Is Sleepy) visit 12 mothers and babies in the wild to celebrate a universal truth: whether Mom is a coyote, hummingbird or human, she's dedicated to feeding, protecting, teaching and frolicking with her beloved little ones for the titular reason. Ward's tender couplets offer species-specific expressions of this devotion, but Long often pairs the sentiments with a recognizably human item, emphasizing the idea of maternal devotion across nature.
-Publishers Weekly |
The Seed and the Giant Saguaro
by Jennifer Ward
illustrated by Mike Rangner
LESSON PLANS for The Seed and the Giant Saguaro Geo Literacy Lesson from Arizona State University Story Trail Southwest Literature Tools for Teachers Saguaro Life Cycle Lesson Plans Purchase The Seed and the Giant Saguaro at Amazon or wherever fine books are sold. |
It all begins with the tiniest of seeds…
This cyclical story is a wonderful read-aloud that will spark children's curiosity about the desert and the plants and animals that live there. Here you will discover how a pack rat, a rattlesnake, a roadrunner, a coyote, and even the clouds above all play a role in helping a small seed grow into a giant saguaro. This wonderful read-aloud brings the wild desert to life and will spark a child's interest in the fascinating creatures that live there. As an added bonus, a timeline, glossary, and fun facts about this gentle giant and the amazing desert are included in the back. In this entertaining introduction to the flora and fauna of the desert, based on the cumulative structure of "The House That Jack Built," a pack rat accompanied by a host of other desert creatures disperses saguaro cactus seeds. Bright illustrations convey the vibrant heat and striking colors of the desert. A list of facts and an overview of saguaro cactuses accompany the text. - Hornbook Guide to Children |
Way Out in the Desert
by Jennifer Ward, et al
illustrated by Ken Spengler Purchase Way Out in the Desert at Amazon or wherever fine books are sold.
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Way out in the desert by the palo verde tree, Lived a mother javelina and her little piggies three. "Snooze!" said the mother. "We snooze!" said the three. Cause they rooted all night by the palo verde tree. A delightful take-off on "Over in the Meadow." Marsh and Ward replace the familiar pond animals with the horned toads, hummingbirds, javelinas, jackrabbits, and roadrunners of the Sonoran Desert. Spengler's joyous, humor-filled drawings at times border on cartoons. Even rattlers and Gila monsters look appealing. To further interest children, the number of creatures mentioned in each double-page spread is hidden somewhere in the illustration. A glossary of plants and animals complete with pictures and pronunciations are appended. Way Out in the Desert is sure to make young readers and listeners want to know more about that desolate, but beautiful place. Absolutely delightful. - School Library Journal
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