I AM THE THIRSTY DESERT

A picture book offers an ode to the Sonoran Desert’s brief, intense bloom.

“Heat waves build, swell and sweep, shimmer and simmer, across my lands. I burn.” This Southwestern desert may appear to be devoid of life, but Pattison’s narration describes the Sonoran as a body filled with flora and fauna that can wait long periods for the fleeting rainfall that will animate them. Debut illustrator Kim’s colorful collages of repurposed paper depict an owl and a nest of eggs, a mountain lion that lies in the hot sand, and purple storm clouds that burst to flood the dry landscape. “The monsoon has sprouted my seeds,” the desert declares. A coyote sniffs at the steaming earth at the base of a cactus. Overnight, eggs crack, flowers erupt into bloom, and “gorgeous, outrageous, fragrant, frail LIFE” fills the desert; toads emerge from puddles and chicks wander the hills. When the desert dries out once more, the seeds from flowers scatter on the wind to wait for rain. Large, legible text with plenty of alliteration and assonance combined with realistic, intriguing pictures of a huge range of animal and plant life make this an engaging storytime read for preschoolers. An extensive notes section at the end of the book gives a short overview of the life cycle of the depicted species, from kangaroo rats and spadefoot toads to chuckwallas and Gambel’s quail, and offers readers enlightening details about the Sonoran’s ecology.

An informative, effective, and poetic introduction to a desert’s beauty and complexity.