Survival at 120 Above

Gr 3-5—Miller's brief but informative white-lettered text floats on Van Zyle's vivid, realistic illustrations in this look at the flora and fauna of the Simpson Desert in the hot, arid heart of the Australian outback. Goannas, thorny devils, emus, kangaroos, blue-tailed skinks, and other critters pop in and out of readers' vision, accompanied by interesting snippets of information (a ningaui "weighs as little as six paper clips" and hunts for beetles and spiders). Visited by a sudden downpour, cracked claypans turn into swampy ponds, allowing dormant eggs and seeds to develop and estivating animals to emerge from a twilight existence. Miller includes an extensive note about her visit to a research site with scientists from the University of Sydney and a brief list of websites and books for further investigation. Maps of Australia and the Simpson Desert decorate the end panels. A companion volume to Miller and Van Zyle's equally handsome look at the other end of Earth's thermostat, Survival at 40 Below (Walker, 2010), this is a nifty look at some very unusual adaptations to an extreme climate. Eye-catching and inviting.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY