| Description |
48 pages : color illustrations ; 31 cm |
| Note |
Includes index. |
| Contents |
Life on the edge -- Tools for survival -- Map of the journey -- Skyscrapers to saguaros -- Home under the stars -- Family in an eggshell -- Plants that bite -- Glowing scorpions and rattling snakes -- Visit to another world -- Desert fireworks -- Carpet of color -- Spineless wonders -- Sentinels of the desert -- Horned lizards and harvesting ants -- Roadrunners and sky wolves -- Meeting a monster -- Toad Love and shooting stars -- Grand Canyon -- People of the desert -- Deserts under threat -- Saving the deserts -- Glossary -- Index. |
| Summary |
Journey into the Desert is an exciting voyage through the dramatically dry world of the desert. Vibrant color photographs of desert life leap from every page and the accessible and informative text will pique the interest of young readers. This trip reveals grand natural wonders and amazing animal feats of survival, and teaches readers a respect of nature and of the environment. Before leaving, the young adventurer is guided through the selection of equipment to help keep the trip safe and comfortable. A camera is essential to document the excitement of the voyage. And don't forget plenty of water! The expedition heads out into the Sonoran Desert, which covers parts of Arizona, California, and northern Mexico. The days are filled with climbs into steep canyons where squirrels scamper and hummingbirds zoom among the cacti. The summer storms are spectacular -- as long as you have a dry spot to stand in! Every day there are new mysteries and discoveries, such as camouflage, which can make a lizard look like a rock or make a rattlesnake almost invisible on the sandy ground. Find out about the ingenious water-storage techniques of the cactus and the clever hunting abilities of the vulture, which help each to survive in this harsh climate. Along the way, there is a side trip to Native American cliff dwellings, whose people are thought to have lived there for 1,000 years before suddenly disappearing. The adventurers also stop to consider the benefits and dangers of pumping water into the desert, or allowing housing developments in this delicate place. At the end of the trip the young traveler is left with a sense of the desert's many contrasts -- beauty and danger, ruggedness and fragility, hot and cold -- and a knowledge of the many unique species that can survive there. Read the story and then use the glossary to refresh your memory about special words learned during the adventure. Above all, explore, enjoy, and in the morning, always check your shoes for scorpions! |
| Subject |
Natural history -- Sonoran Desert -- Juvenile literature.
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Hiking -- Sonoran Desert -- Juvenile literature.
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Natural history -- Sonoran Desert.
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Hiking -- Sonoran Desert.
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Desert ecology.
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Ecology.
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Sonoran Desert.
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| ISBN |
019515777X alkaline paper |
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