Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus (Tree Tales) [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Barbara Bash (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Tree Tales

A venerable saguaro cactus stands like a statue in the hot desert landscape, its armlike branches reaching fifty feet into the air. From a distance it appears to be completely still and solitary--but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, this giant tree of the desert is alive with activity. Its spiny trunk and branches are home to a surprising number of animals, and its flowers and fruit feed many desert dwellers.
Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk. Long-nosed bats and fluttering white doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers. People also play a role in the saguaro's story: each year the Tohono O'odham Indians gather its sweet fruit in a centuries-old harvest ritual.
In this first volume of Sierra Club Books' Tree Tales series, a simple, easy-to-read text and appealing drawings document the life cycle of this amazing cactus tree and the creatures it helps to support. Readers will come away with a better understanding of and a lasting respect for this accomodating giant of the desert.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When most people think of a typical cactus, they probably think of the saguaro, which can grow to be 50 feet high, weigh up to several tons and live for 200 years. It plays a significant role in desert life: the Gila woodpecker builds its nest in the trunk (and once the woodpeckers are finished with their nest, an elf owl may move in); a Harris' hawk may construct a nest of twigs on the cactus; at night, a long-nosed bat may drink the nectar hidden in the saguaro flowers; during the day, the white-winged doves, butterflies and bees may also drink the nectar. And when the saguaro fruit ripens, it is harvested by the Tohono O'odham Indians for jams, candies, syrups and wines, as well as eaten by coyotes, ants and javelina pigs. Bash, who illustrated Tiger Lilies and Other Beastly Plants , has skillfully combined an informative, readable text with bold, appealing illustrations. Readers will appreciate the towering giant of the desert, and find the link between it and the other inhabitants of that land engrossing. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6 A lap-size book with colorful, detailed illustrations that complement clear text descriptive of the life cycle of a saguaro cactus and its uses by and contributions to southwestern desert dwellersinsect, reptile, animal, and human. Bash is informative without oversimplification or hyperscientificism. For pictorial and topic information, Desert Giant is comparable to Patricia Lauber's Life on a Giant Cactus (Garrard, 1974), and superior to Anita Holmes' The 100-Year-Old Cactus (Four Winds, 1983). It contains a delightful sequence showing how desert Indians harvest and use saguaro fruitnot mentioned in either of the other books. A handsome addition to books on this subject. George Gleason, Department of English, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 28 pages
• Publisher: Sierra Club Books for Children (September 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578050855
• ISBN-13: 978-1578050857
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > General
  • #45 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Forests & Trees
  • #52 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Flowers & Plants

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our third grade class loved your book., November 2, 1999

By 

Brinson Memorial-Third Graders (sawyer@coasta... (New Bern, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus (Tree Tales) (Library Binding)

Our third grade loved your book. It gave us a lot of information about the desert. The illustrations were excellent. We especilly liked the use of author techniques such as diagrams, onomatopeias, catchy title and colorful illustrations. We would love to contact Barbara Bash.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your ordinary desert book, May 11, 2004

By 

K. Schumann (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus (Tree Tales) (Paperback)

We have been reading many different desert books for a unit study. It seemed that we kept running across the same old information in every book. Then we read this one! It tells you things that you just don't find in other books. This turned out to be our favorite book. The pictures are wonderful and it is easily understandable by young children, thought adults will learn a thing or two as well! Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very educational, August 24, 2007

By 

Catherine G. Simon (Moncton, NB, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus (Tree Tales) (Paperback)

This book is very educational to use in a classroom or an education focused day camp and is not an easy read as a story book at bedtime.