Desert Song [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Tony Johnston (Author), Ed Young (Illustrator)

Book Description

In this lyrical evocation of the desert night, celebrated author Tony Johnston and Caldecott medalist Ed Young offer young readers an unforgettable look at the many plants and animals that thrive in this suprisingly lush and fragile wilderness.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Day is done./ Twilight comes./ The sun goes down/ and streaks the clouds/ with flame." Johnston (The Barn Owls) lyrically evokes the end of desert heat and the beginning of shadows at the close of day as Young's (Lon Po Po) opening spreads of a sky aflame in yellow hues give way to orange. By the first page of text, wine-colored clouds engulf two lonely cacti. As Johnston's poem picks up speed ("Suddenly/ with a rush of wings/ bats spill from a cave in a hill"), Young offers a view from within the bats' cave as they soar over a cactus-filled horizon. A life-size view of flowers and insects accompanies Johnston's litany of the exotic inhabitants ("weevils,/ beetlesA/ seeking the saguaro's/ sweet fruit"). Like a refrain, the rhythmic text circles back to the bats. At the poem's conclusion, the winged nocturnal creatures cling to the cave's roof, and Young imagines their last breathtaking view of the desert at daybreak, as the sun paints the terrain in sherbet hues. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-A poetic text and striking images evoke the sounds and sights of the desert night. As evening descends, the still landscape begins to hum with life. "The wind whispers./Wings whisper/as insects fly-," and on through the hours as owls, snakes, and coyotes emerge to look for food. Just before dawn, the nocturnal animals "slip into the cool/of desert hiding places./-into pools of shade"; the bats "-sleep then,/clustered/close and still." Young's mixed-media collage artwork complements the text beautifully; layers of cut-out forms of various textures and deep colors over background pastel illustrations create images that are as haunting and rich as the language. From dusk to dawn, a treat.
Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith, Publisher; 1st edition (August 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871564912
• ISBN-13: 978-0871564917
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,550,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tribute to all night life in the desert, presented uniquely for the enjoyment of young children, September 20, 2010

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Desert Song (pb) (Paperback)

"Desert Song" is a magical poetic rendering of the nocturnal stirrings of creatures of the desert as the twilight deepens into night. Bats, owls, snakes, insects, coyotes and more are seen slipping quietly out to feed. The spectacular illustrations are stellar images of desert night scenes and creatures. "Desert Song" is a tribute to all night life in the desert, presented uniquely for the enjoyment of young children.