Desert Jungle

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)