It’s no secret I’m obsessed with cactus, and turns out that obsession extends to the whole of the Sonoran Desert. I love how all the animals & plants have special adaptations to survive, and despite the original hostile seeming environment, the Sonoran desert is actually green & beautiful! This year, we even timed our travels well enough to see some of the cactus bloom! Be still my beating heart.

Through all our travels & adventures we discovered some great children’s picture books that helped all the information we were learning sink in so I thought I’d share with you guys some of our favorites! I’d like to report that I seriously research in advance the locations we travel too and come up with a list of books suitable for each region, but I don’t. This time around we were in the region long enough and just plain got lucky (and I really do love National Park Visitor Centers. That helps too!).

Ready? Here goes!

Desert Night, Desert Day by Anthony D. Fredericks & Kenneth J. Spengler – This is my absolute favorite, so maybe it is cheating that I put it first? I absolutely love the illustrations, and my kids love to search for the quail on each page, plus look for the clues as to which animal is next. Simple, elegant, and an easy read before bedtime read.

The Seed and the Giant Saguaro by Jennifer Ward & Mike K. Ranger – With repetitive, building verse, this book follows the life cycle of the Saguaro bloom from being picked up by a pack rat to soaking it’s seeds in the ground to grow into a new cacuts. Super cute, short, and an easy read!

Kissing Coyotes by Marcia Vaughan  Kenneth J. Spengler – We found this one at a local library after I asked the librarian to look up other books illustrated by Kenneth J. Spengler. Jack Rabbit is a bit of a braggart and tells the other animals of the desert that he can kiss the coyotes and get away without being eaten! A bit of a longer read, but Cara and I read it together at the laundromat one afternoon and she begged me to read it again.

How Jackrabbit Got His Very Long Ears by Heather Irbinskas & Kenneth J. Spengler – We saw this one at multiple National Park visitor centers and were elated to find it at the Grand County Library in Moab to check it out and really read it. Jackrabbit is a bit of a scoundrel and although he’s helping the Great Spirit lead desert animals to their new homes he’s not a very good listener. Another one illustrated by Kenneth Spengler, so its absolutely beautiful.

Josefina Javelina: A Hairy Tale by Susan Lowell and Bruce W. MacPherson – All Josefina wants is to be a ballerina in a big city, so she packs up to live with her cousin Angelina while auditioning for a role. Hilarious story, beautiful illustrations and my kids were all rooting for her to triumph over the evil Mr. Coyote. 

Why Oh Why Are Deserts Dry? by Tish Rabe: We picked this one up back in the Mojave Desert, and have enjoyed it over and over for months. In true Cat and the Hat rhyming style, the book details the main deserts across the world (including Antarctica!) and is both educational and fun. Cara constantly tells me about the “watery place in the middle of the desert” aka an Oasis.

Life in the Slow Lane; A Desert Tortoise Tale by Conrad J. Storad & Nathaniel P. Jensen – Maybe because we are living life a bit in the slow lane, this book really tugged on my heart strings. We picked it up at the Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park. “Oh – It’s life in the slow lane The slow life for me! The tortoise’s way Is the best way to be!” Slow and simple I couldn’t agree more, although I’ll pass on eating the Prickly Pear!

Way Out in the Desert by T. J. Marsh – We saw the same literary pattern in one of our Halloween books last fall, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. We have this one as a boardbook in the car, and Cara is constantly asking Rachel or Andrew to read it to her. My favorite animal? Definitely the javelinas snoozing by the palo verde tree.

A Campfire For Cowboy Billy by Wendy K. Ulmer & Kenneth J. Spengler – A cute little boy pretends he’s a cowboy in a big city. He rides through the canyons (tall buildings), enters the Badlands (Central Park), and avoids the bandits (other kids on bikes). While not based in the desert, you can’t help but admire his imagination.

There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea by Jennifer Ward & Steve Gray – Cara keeps begging me to read this one over and over! It’s pretty long and based after the Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly, so very repetitive but also fun. I’m still impressed the coyote swallowed the cactus to go with the chile, to season the bird, to catch the snake…..