Dunphy's cumulative poem explores the interrelationships between the living and nonliving elements of the Sonoran Desert. Coming full circle, she begins and ends with the cactus: Here is the cactus / that is covered with spines / and can live without rain / for a very long time. She also cites the hare, the snake, the coyote, the squirrel, the badger, the bobcat, the roadrunner, the lizard, and the hawk--all of which are interconnected with the sun, the tree, and the cactus. Coe's luminous artwork includes both panoramic backgrounds and vibrant action close-ups that will appeal to young and old alike. Although the repetition in the verses makes this a good choice for story hours, the appended information on Sonoran wildlife lends itself to primary units on the desert or the Southwest. Pair with Gail Hartman's As the Road Runner Runs (1994) and Gisela Jernigan's Sonoran Seasons: A Year in the Desert (1994). (Reviewed May 15, 1995)

Using a repetitive cumulative structure, this book excels in demonstrating the interconnectedness of the various species that inhabit the Sonoran Desert. However, the paintings contain awkwardly posed animals that are sometimes too difficult for children to find. In addition, the final page, which shows all the animals, lacks any indication of their relative sizes.

K-Gr 2-Information on the Sonoran desert is presented in a cumulative fashion a la The House That Jack Built, e.g., ``Here is the lizard/who is spied by the hawk/that perches on the cactus/that is covered with spines...'' The narrative mentions and depicts eight animals and three plants; an end note shows these and other creatures in pen-and-ink drawings with a brief discussion of them and their environment. The book is beautifully designed. On each double-page spread, text appears in a narrow section on the left against a glowing earth-pink background; remaining space is filled with an acrylic painting saturated with dazzling desert light. Each spread is marked with solid borders, as though matted. Coe's dry-brush technique reveals the texture of the canvas in ways that make it look like grainy sand. One cavil: the obviously different prickly pear and saguaro are called by the same generic name-cactus.-Ruth Semrau, formerly at Lovejoy School, Allen, TX