School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-2-An uninspired "Level 2" reader about desert life that reads like a dry encyclopedia entry. Levinson begins with a tangential, and confusing, reference to polar deserts before presenting shotgun descriptions of the various indigenous flora and fauna that populate California's famously inhospitable desert. Leading questions are answered with a fact or two. An appendix includes silhouette identifications of some of Hearn's cutesy pastoral colored-pencil images. Individual plants and animals are labeled throughout but the type is too small and too often blends in with the pictures. Elsa Posell's Deserts (Children's, 1982; o.p.) is a much better introduction to this topic.-John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Newly independent readers will appreciate the simple text of this nonfiction easy reader, which provides a good introduction to the terrain and to the wildlife and plants that thrive in Death Valley. The illustrations are clear and attractive, and plants and animals are labeled; unfortunately, the artwork makes many of the labels difficult to read. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Interesting, well-written nonfiction easy readers are almost as scarce as, say, a rainstorm in the desert. Levinson (Shes Been Working on the Railroad, 1997, etc.) effectively summarizes the amazing facts surrounding one of the most famous deserts, Death Valley, in her latest easy reader, which is written at a 2.9 grade level with just three to four sentences per two-page spread. The text describes one day in Death Valley, from sunrise on the front cover through animals feeding at a waterhole at night before a rare pre-dawn thunderstorm. A wide variety of flora and fauna are identified in the text and in captions unobtrusively worked into the full-bleed spreads with attractive illustrations that capture the glowing, golden heat of the dry desert and friendly-looking animals that will appeal to children. The final spread identifies common Death Valley animals and plants with small silhouette drawings, and an additional page of facts about Death Valley completes the book. This title will be useful for elementary school reports or class units on habitats, and it will also serve well as an intermediate easy reader for the primary grades or for older new readers or ESL students. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-9)
Booklist Review
Gr. 2^-3. Ground so hot it can melt sneakers. That's just one of the descriptions Levinson uses to discuss Death Valley. Short sentences introduce desert flora and fauna, and describe how animals make a home in such an inhospitable place. Dawson's accompanying artwork is particularly good. The animals are endearing without being cute, and the natural beauty of the desert comes alive in shades of gold and brown that mellow into the purple-blues of night. A two-page spread shows silhouettes of the animals, and there is a page of desert facts. A very nice presentation. --Ilene Cooper
