Customer Reviews

Desert Digits: An Arizona Number Book (Count Your Way Across the USA)

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My students really like this book. It's both fun and informative. We live in Arizona, so it's easy for us to relate, but I think students from other regions could really enjoy this book. There is so much to learn and the information is very well presented.

This picture book goes through the number system, from 1 to 15, and then it jumps up to 20 and continues in increments of 10 until 100. Each number is then corresponded with an element that represents the state of Arizona in some way. For example, for number 70: "Beads of shell, discs of silver, and chunks of turquoise are created into 70 pieces of jewelry worn by Indian girls and boys". Also, with each number, the main thing that is being counted is then given a little description on the side. For example, the hummingbird is counted for the number 6 and then a brief description about the hummingbird's speed, what it eats, and the best place to see hummingbirds, is given.

This book does a pretty good job of being an instructional tool to learn how to count while making the process a little easier for children (and their parents) by connecting the numbers with real life animals and objects. This picture book would be perfect in a school setting. It could be used in the lower grades in programs that focus on learning how to count and/or elements of Arizona. This could also be used in a public library setting for a program that focuses on the west, Arizona, desert, etc.

Outside the obvious benefits of this picture book, the illustrations are very beautiful as well and do a great job of capturing what Arizona and the desert look like.

Barbara Gowan has done it again! Another wonderful book that teaches young readers about the Arizona desert... this time adding numbers to the mix. And the multi-layered content is perfect for the classroom! FYI, I understand Ms. Gowan has a new ABC book coming (again with Sleeping Bear Press) that reveals facts about deserts around the globe. Can't wait!

Desert Digits: An Arizona Number Book is a counting picturebook for young people that covers numbers 1-15, then 20, 30, and every number divisible by 10 up through 100. Each number has a simple sentence featuring it, a color illustration featuring that countable number of things or people, and an in-depth text sidebar of fun Arizona facts. "Pincushion, hedgehog, organ pipe, and 15 kinds of prickly pear - desert cacti with odd names, even a cholla called teddy bear." A wonderful read-aloud, look-and-find book to help familiarize young children with counting.

Mrs. Gowan's second Arizona book is the perfect complement to her first book, G is for Grand Canyon. Both rhyming books include sidebars with facts about Arizona that would be useful for a report on the state of Arizona, and there is even a nice glossary in the back. Desert Digits could also be used to help younger students practice counting by 5's and 10's. Everyone will enjoy the rhymes and illustrations. This book would be a great addition to school, classroom, or home libraries and I highly recommend it!