Cactus Hotel (Owlet Book) (Hardcover)

by Brenda Z. Guiberson (Author), Megan Lloyd (Illustrator) "On a hot, dry day in the desert, a bright-red fruit falls from a tall saguaro cactus..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The intriguing life cycle of the saguaro cactus and the complex web of life that characterizes the North American Sonoran desert is effectively explored in this involving picture book. Guiberson's text captures the reader with its steady pace and often delightful echoes of cumulative nursery tales. She weaves an amazingly large range of facts into this simple story of a fragile ecosystem, and helps children comprehend just how much plants and animals depend upon one another for their survival. Lloyd's ( The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything ) paintings evoke the desert landscape with their pastel-shaded palette, changing point of view and finely rendered scenes of native flora and fauna. Best used as a read-aloud, this is a fine prequel to Barbara Bash's more extensive and detailed Desert Giant . Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-- Text and illustrations successfully meld to tell this story of the slow-growing saguaro. The plant's 200-year life cycle from seed to final deterioration is presented chronologically. This sequential approach clearly demonstrates plant development and adaptation techniques for survival in a desert habitat. The symbiotic relationship of plant and animal at various stages of growth is shown as birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects visit the cactus. Muted double-page illustrations provide a landscape background for the brighter hues of the cactus flowers and the creatures that come to visit. These illustrations are a gentle contrast to the boldness of Desert Giant (Little, 1989) by Barbara Bash and complement the photographs in The Hidden Life of the Desert (Crown, 1990) by Thomas Wiewandt. --Diane Nunn, Richard E. Byrd Elementary School, Glen Rock, NJ
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (May 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805013334
• ISBN-13: 978-0805013337
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,193 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CACTUS HOTEL IS A REMARKABLE BOOK, December 10, 1999

By	Richard Goodman (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cactus Hotel (An Owlet Book) (Paperback)

Cactus Hotel is better than a good book. It's a marvelous book. It tells, without sentimentalizing it, the story of the life and death of a saguaro cactus. Though it is the story of one plant in nature and how other animals and insects benefit from its gifts, it is a metaphor for living--for all of us. That does not mean the book is heavy or preachy. Far from it. The text is simple in the best sense of that word and lyrical. The illustrations make you feel as if you were in that desert world, living that life. Through its generous time on earth, the cactus is home to, and provides nourishment for, various desert animals--a Gila woodpecker, an elf owl, many others. It uses its span on earth to be exactly what it was meant to be. All of nature is revealed here in its wise splendor--heat, drought, rain, cold, wind, sun. I have read this book to my daughter countless times, and I will continue to read it to her. I think I love it as much--more--than she. The book is poetry. Pure poetry.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for young and old alike, September 21, 2005

By	LilTaz93 "liltaz93" (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cactus Hotel (An Owlet Book) (Paperback)

Excellent book for young and old alike. As an adult new to the desert, it gave me a good, quick understanding of the 'circle of life' of the Saguaro and the critters involved with it. It is nicely laid out, simple to read, and even speaks of spiders and other sometimes scary beings in a non-threatening manner. Really quite a good book. I even sent a copy to my good friend's 6 and 9 year olds and they, along with their folks, really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cactus Hotel, March 26, 2001

By	"ruby_payne" (Saugerties, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent book for children for learning about the interaction of plants and animals in the Southwestern desert environment. Many multi-disciplinary activities can be developed using this marvelous book!