Paul Mirocha

I lovely collection of poetry, musings and field guide notes on some of the flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert. As is typical (or so I've found) of nature writing in Arizona (and specifically the Sonoran Desert), the focus is on Tucson as if nature simply doesn't exist outside of that little Southeastern Arizona bubble. Is it because University of Arizona has a more ecological focus than Arizona State University, a more literary lean? A more artistic scene? (I'm really asking, I don't show more have an answer just lots of questions.)

One thing I learned: I've been seeing two types of rabbits/hares on our evening walks. I thought rabbit-with-giant-ears was a male desert cottontail; but now I know those are black-tailed jackrabbits! While I'm not sure the lizard species in my yard were included, I did learn that they're doing push-ups as a form of communication! The more you know....

Given that there are many critters that make their home in the Sonoran Desert, it must have been challenging to limit to a select few; however, I was surprised that the Gila Woodpecker didn't make the cut. Perhaps it wasn't included because they already had a desert woodpecker: the Gilded Flicker. Abert's Towhee also wasn't included which is a species that birders travel to Arizona to see! Of course, most of the Sonoran Desert is in Mexico, look at me showing my Arizona bias.

Which brings me to one feature that would make this gem even better: maps for each selection. Perhaps a second edition in a couple of years will add color, maps, and the Gila Woodpecker. (A girl can dream.)

At the beginning of the book, an incredible map shows the region but some of the included beings are all across the country and I think it would be helpful to include that information. Mainly because I think it shows how adaptable nature is, some plants and animals can thrive anywhere -- like humans! Some cannot -- like the saguaro, which is endemic to the Sonoran Desert. show less

I love San Francisco’s wild coyotes. We have 17 families/territories in an only 49 square mile city. I follow Janet Kessler’s Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/coyoteyipps/) and websites (https://coyoteyipps.com/ and https://coyotecoexistence.com/.)

I wanted to love this book but I didn’t love it. The paintings are lush and lovely. The information given on the last two pages elevated the book somewhat and I like that the Project Coyote website (https://projectcoyote.org/) is show more mentioned. The story proper I understand what it tried to do. The stories of young & old coyote and young & old human sharing a wild space is a good one. I guess because as a vegan I consider myself to be NOT a predator I probably enjoyed this story less than omnivores would. Balance in nature is important but the fishing, even though unsuccessful, turned me off. The educating that the older human gives to the younger human is fine but it felt more like a lesson than a real conversation. It is a lovely book and it is educational and I did like aspects of it, just not nearly as much as I’d anticipated. I’m definitely in the minority so don’t listen to me. Most of the reviews here are glowing. 2-1/2 stars show less

Treasure from a Little Free Library. "Do you see what I see? Javelina and baby running from me." ".... Western spotted skunk hiding from me." Gorgeous illustrations of the different critters. Most, admittedly, one would only see in a book as they're too secretive to be seen irl. Perfect for residents, in prep for a visit, and as a souvenir. (And grand for everyone else, too, imo.) I would love to see more in the series or by the creator.

As someone who has spent a lot of time hiking and camping with my kids, I wish I had the picture book when they were younger. A story interwoven with facts about the natural world -- my young children would have loved this! Perfect to share with a young naturalist.