Desert Jungle

Born from a desire to highlight the reduction in desert biodiversity, as well as ‘nature-deficit disorder’ in children, this is a wonderful picture book in many ways. The story follows a young boy staying with his Grandpa in a desert valley, which the author later explains is the Valley of the Cirios in the Sonoran Desert. This part of Mexico is being considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Even though the boy prefers to play on his tablet, Grandpa interacts with him and shows him the beautiful nature around him: cardon cacti, elephant trees, animals and plants which often are only found in this part of the world. Coyotes figure largely in the story, as well as paintings of these animals in caves. This prehistoric artwork is around 7,000 years old!

The volume is well set out with the story first followed by detailed notes on the setting and the author. A clearly labelled map of Mexico and its surroundings is particularly useful for older students and adults. Jeannie Baker explains how youngsters who grow up with a strong sense of nature from the adults around them feel closer to their environment in contrast to those who have little connection with the natural world.

This is a powerful book to educate the young about a productive area which could be named a ‘desert jungle.’ For grandparents, teachers and librarians, this is an excellent story to share with young students who will likely not have heard of this particular region. The artwork and photographs are striking and provide lots of subjects to discuss: geography, history, nature, relationships with family, walking and tablets! Although I have marked it for ages 5-8, it is suitable for any age and in many settings – home, school and library.