A Day in the Life of the Desert

Tour 6 North American deserts in 24 hours from day break in the Mojave Desert through midnight in the Great Basin.

This meticulously illustrated picture book takes readers on a cross-continental tour in 24 hours, visiting 6 different deserts at different hours of the day, and returning to each desert as night falls. Meet the critters that call these habitats home, from the turkey vultures that fly under the hot daytime sun to the gila monster that crawls across the cool nighttime sand.

While exploring the desert, young readers can play hide and seek with all kinds of desert creatures! Every nook and cranny is filled with critters big and small for readers to identify using the matching key at the bottom of the page.

However, these incredibly important, fragile ecosystems are in danger. On the daytime visits, children in grades 2-4 can learn about the challenges these deserts and animals face due to climate change, invasive species, and other threats.

When returning to each desert at night, readers can also learn about what’s being done to protect these unique habitats. The deserts depicted are the Mojave, the Chihuahuan, the Great Basin, the Sonoran, Painted Valley, and Death Valley.

Budding naturalists can dive into the extensive material in the back of the book, including an author’s note with age-appropriate resources on how to get involved, a glossary with science vocabulary, and a bibliography.

The Books for a Better Earth™ collection is designed to inspire young people to become active, knowledgeable participants in caringfor the planet they live on. Focusing on solutions to climate change challenges, the collection looks at how scientists, activists, andyoung leaders are working to safeguard Earth’s future.