Storm on the Desert [Hardcover]

Carolyn Lesser (Author), Ted Rand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

A fierce summer storm dramatically affects the desert plants and animals of the American Southwest. Poetic language, stunning illustrations, and careful research combine to create a sense of the intense drama of the desert while communicating factual information about desert plants and animals. “At every stage, Lesser’s language conjures up wonderful imagery.”--Booklist

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6. Across a double-spread title page, a thin sliver of moon hovers over a darkened sky, sun-streaked with dawn. Head back, a coyote howls a morning greeting. With this, Rand delivers a striking visual introduction to Lesser's poetic description of the coming violent downpour and the passing of a desert storm. The narration begins quietly ("Silence wanders/Through ironwood trees"), quickens as the gale hits ("Rain shatters the earth"), and slows in the aftermath (Lightning an elusive flicker,/Thunder a murmur"). Lesser's pace and phrasing inject atmosphere, making this a good read aloud and a good introduction to desert flora and fauna. The ongoing actions of a coyote provide an element of story, while the inclusion of other wildlife?jackrabbits, poppies, vultures, rain lilies, beetles, and lizards?flesh out the desert scene. Some of Rand's images are mesmerizing?animals scurrying through the storm, some silhouetted against "billows of dust"; however, the textless spreads (one of lightning, another of a rainbow, and a third of a desert in bloom) are ordinary and tend to disrupt the narrative flow. Nevertheless, this title makes a fitting companion to Diane Siebert and Wendell Minor's Mojave (HarperCollins, 1988) and to Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall's books; it could also work well in introducing older readers to novels such as Angela Johnson's Toning the Sweep (Orchard, 1993) or Gloria Skurzynski's Lost in the Devil's Desert (Morrow, 1993).?Barbara Elleman, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-8. The desert of the American Southwest is the setting for this striking picture book that reveals what happens before, during, and after a sudden and very violent storm. At every stage, Lesser's language conjures up wonderful imagery. Before the storm: "Startled bats swoosh. . . . Scorpions scuttle. Clouds roil, churn, tumble"; then, "Bony fingers of lightning streak. . . . Rain shatters the earth. . . . Pelting, piercing, slashing, screaming." Suddenly it's over, and the desert comes to life again: painted ladies are "Fluffing their wings in the sun," and thirsty cactus "puff up like prickly pillows." Rand uses a variety of media--pastel, pencil, chalk and watercolor--to create gorgeous desert scenes that convey both the beauty and the violence of the storm. Use the book to introduce desert landscape and plant and animal life or to complement a science unit on weather. Lauren Peterson

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152721983
• ISBN-13: 978-0152721985
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,130,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Artwork, Beautiful Writing, October 14, 2008

By 

Sierra 225 (california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Storm on the Desert (Hardcover)

I just love this book! My children enjoy the building of the storm and the calmness afterward. It is a great bed time story.

5.0 out of 5 stars Storm on the desert, October 5, 2000

By 

Monarch Butterfly "Mona" (Woodridge, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Storm on the Desert (Hardcover)

A well-written, well-illustrated book on how the desert experiences rain and the animals who live for the infrequent event of abundant supply of water. I recently read this book to my third grade bilingual(Spanish/English) classroom when we were working on our desert unit. Along with the words and illustrations, I included some music that also corresponded with the movement of the story. At first my students didn't connect, but when the downpour occurred, they instantly related to what was happening. When asked to declare their favorite selection of all of the books we had read in the unit, my students overwhelming selected this book. This is a must-have book for any library!