Desert Baths

K-Gr 2–Children are taught at a very young age that if there’s one thing this ecosystem lacks, it’s water. Pattison uses this as a jumping-off point to explore the hygiene of animals and birds living in the desert. The text is cadenced without rhyming, giving it a soothing feeling. It reads almost like a lullaby, which works well considering most of these desert animals are nocturnal. But this lullaby might spur readers to do additional research, since the facts are fascinating. For instance, in just a few lines of text, the author describes the unusual process the scaled quail goes through to get clean (called “anointing”): it uses an ant. Rietz’s richly colored illustrations are realistic, so readers can get a feel for the desert habitat. One of the most eye-catching details is the patterned frame around each spread. Eagle-eyed viewers will want to spot these textures on other pages. A six-page “For Creative Minds” section includes enrichment activities. This book is a must-have for libraries in desert regions since it is so applicable to many curriculum topics. But even libraries in other areas might consider purchasing it as it will hold children’s interest at many levels.–Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ