Product Description

A story about the mighty saguaro cactus.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #158472 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-06
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 28 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781578050857
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
When most people think of a typical cactus, they probably think of the saguaro, which can grow to be 50 feet high, weigh up to several tons and live for 200 years. It plays a significant role in desert life: the Gila woodpecker builds its nest in the trunk (and once the woodpeckers are finished with their nest, an elf owl may move in); a Harris' hawk may construct a nest of twigs on the cactus; at night, a long-nosed bat may drink the nectar hidden in the saguaro flowers; during the day, the white-winged doves, butterflies and bees may also drink the nectar. And when the saguaro fruit ripens, it is harvested by the Tohono O'odham Indians for jams, candies, syrups and wines, as well as eaten by coyotes, ants and javelina pigs. Bash, who illustrated Tiger Lilies and Other Beastly Plants , has skillfully combined an informative, readable text with bold, appealing illustrations. Readers will appreciate the towering giant of the desert, and find the link between it and the other inhabitants of that land engrossing. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-6 A lap-size book with colorful, detailed illustrations that complement clear text descriptive of the life cycle of a saguaro cactus and its uses by and contributions to southwestern desert dwellersinsect, reptile, animal, and human. Bash is informative without oversimplification or hyperscientificism. For pictorial and topic information, Desert Giant is comparable to Patricia Lauber's Life on a Giant Cactus (Garrard, 1974), and superior to Anita Holmes' The 100-Year-Old Cactus (Four Winds, 1983). It contains a delightful sequence showing how desert Indians harvest and use saguaro fruitnot mentioned in either of the other books. A handsome addition to books on this subject. George Gleason, Department of English, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover
A venerable saguaro cactus stands like a statue in the hot desert landscape, its armlike branches reaching fifty feet into the air. From a distance it appears to be completely still and solitary--but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, this giant tree of the desert is alive with activity. Its spiny trunk and branches are home to a surprising number of animals, and its flowers and fruit feed many desert dwellers.

Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk. Long-nosed bats and fluttering white doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers. People also play a role in the saguaro's story: each year the Tohono O'odham Indians gather its sweet fruit in a centuries-old harvest ritual.

In this first volume of Sierra Club Books' Tree Tales series, a simple, easy-to-read text and appealing drawings document the life cycle of this amazing cactus tree and the creatures it helps to support. Readers will come away with a better understanding of and a lasting respect for this accomodating giant of the desert.

Customer Reviews

Our third grade class loved your book.
Our third grade loved your book. It gave us a lot of information about the desert. The illustrations were excellent. We especilly liked the use of author techniques such as diagrams, onomatopeias, catchy title and colorful illustrations. We would love to contact Barbara Bash.

Not your ordinary desert book
We have been reading many different desert books for a unit study. It seemed that we kept running across the same old information in every book. Then we read this one! It tells you things that you just don't find in other books. This turned out to be our favorite book. The pictures are wonderful and it is easily understandable by young children, thought adults will learn a thing or two as well! Highly recommended.

Very educational
This book is very educational to use in a classroom or an education focused day camp and is not an easy read as a story book at bedtime.