Way Out in the Desert [Hardcover]

Jennifer Ward (Author), T. J. Marsh (Author), Kenneth J. Spengler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

This toe-tapping text will have you singing along with the lovable creatures of the desert in no time! Filled with vibrant illustrations of many of the charming plants and animals that call the Sonoran Desert home, Way Out in the Desert is a wonderful teaching tool that takes you on a trip down memory lane. If you remember singing Over in the Meadow as a child, now you can give your children their own memories of this timeless tune. So take a child on a trip where Way out in the desert having fun in the sun lived a mother horned toad and her little toady one..

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2AA delightful take-off on "Over in the Meadow." Marsh and Ward replace the familiar pond animals with the horned toads, hummingbirds, javelinas, jackrabbits, and roadrunners of the Sonoran Desert. Spengler's joyous, humor-filled drawings at times border on cartoons. Even rattlers and Gila monsters look appealing. To further interest children, the number of creatures mentioned in each double-page spread is hidden somewhere in the illustration. A glossary of plants and animals complete with pictures and pronunciations are appended. Way Out in the Desert is sure to make young readers and listeners want to know more about that desolate, but beautiful place. Absolutely delightful.AMollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Marsh and Ward's quick tour of the Sonoran Desert introduces readers to both local fauna (such as the horned toad, javelinas, tarantulas, Gila monsters, roadrunners, and scorpions) and flora (palo verde, ocotillo, saguaro, and prickly pear). Their observations are set to the rhythms of ``Over in the Meadow,'' for this is also a counting book: ``Way out in the desert where the wildflowers grew/lived a mother hummingbird and her little hummers two.'' Spengler has hidden each of the numbers in his full-page illustrations, which transport readers right into the thick of the environment and provide a better sense than the text of the animals and plants of this habitat. A glossary at the end of the book provides a more detailed account of the creatures. (Picture book. 3-7) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Publishing Llc; 1 edition (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873586875
• ISBN-13: 978-0873586870
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,041 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever usage of rhyme and song in a counting book which desc, February 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Way Out in the Desert (Hardcover)

SUMMARY:

Clever usage of rhyme and song in a counting book which describes the animals and vegetation of the desert. Pictures are beautifully illustrated, animated but yet realistic. The book even includes a glossary and the sheet music.

CRITICAL REVIEW:

WAY OUT IN THE DESERT uses excellent rhyme and meter while the young reader searches for the hidden number within each picture. All the animals and vegetation are that of the Sonoran Desert. Each page briefly describes a characteristic of the creature and their habitat within the desert. The vocabulary is contextual in naming of the animals and plants of this desert. The remaining vocabulary is simple and repetitive. The counting scheme is the increasing number of each animal's babies. The pictures are wonderful. Each are vibrantly colored but the colors are representative of the real animal or plant. Each page has depth and texture and varies in perspective. It is a joy to look at and fun to read. Older readers would enjoy reading this book in discovery of the desert. It is best to read this to new or struggling readers-but do read it!

CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS:

This is an excellent book for all elementary ages. The basic skill is counting. From here it can expand in many directions, such as music, poetry, art, writing, creating special glossaries, studying the southwest states, desert life, desert plants and animals, habitats, food chains, botany, zoology, comparing and contrasting, etc. It can be used to create working groups within the classroom, each group being a different desert animal. The possibilities are endless. Meeting both authors is recommended. Both currently live in Tucson, AZ, and love the desert. I'm sure they have many stories to tell of their life there.

BOOK LINKS: HOME AT LAST - Nicolas D. Matzirakis THE TORTOISE AND THE JACKRABBIT - Susan Lowell, Jim Harris (Illustrator) MANY NATIONS: AN ALPHABET OF NATIVE AMERICA - Joseph Bruchac, Robert Goetzl (Illustrator) ONE GREEN MESQUITE TREE - Gisela Jernigan, E. Wesley Jernigan (Illustrator) ANIMALIA - Graeme Base COUNTING ON THE WOODS - George Lyon, Ann Olson (Illustrator)

BOOKS BY THE SAME ILLUSTRATOR: A CAMPFIRE FOR COWBOY BILLY - Wendy Ulmer HOW JACKRABBIT GOT HIS VERY LONG EARS - Heather Irbinshas

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely adorable summary of wildlife in the desert!, November 23, 1998

By 

Patty Horn (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Way Out in the Desert (Hardcover)

This fun book tells "lyric-like" tales of some of the main creatures found in the southwestern desert. You can almost hear music when you read it! It's very clever! I highly recommend it for toddlers to second graders. The illustrations are great too. A really cute book!

Desert Songwriter/Patty Horn

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant book about desert life., May 3, 2006

By 

Karen K. Hart (Austin, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Way Out in the Desert (Hardcover)

I haven't learned the music for Way Out in the Desert yet, so I can't speak for the tune. However, the rhythm of this counting rhyme is a lot of fun. It gets a little old by the time you get to the tenth verse, but the beat is enjoyable. If you don't like poems that sort of get you into a singsong mode, though, you might want to skip this one.
The illustrations are beautiful, and terms are explained at the end of the book. If you know how to pronounce both Spanish and English words, this text is a delight to read aloud. A great introduction to desert life!