In the Desert
From the Set Spot Nature
Deserts--hot and dry. Developing readers learn about the weather, plants, and animals of a desert in this low-level search-and-find beginning reader. Careful, this isn't the beach. There may be lots of sand, but there's a lot less water among the vast sand dunes. That's why the plants and animals store water and nutrients for a long time. Early readers will discover camels, rattlesnakes, and more that make their home in the desert ecosystem. A search-and-find feature reinforces new vocabulary like cacti and sand dunes, while close-up images captivate young audiences. A great early STEM book to inspire learning about biomes for kindergartners and first graders.
SLJ Review of Spot Nature
This series is a very good, very simple introduction to STEM learning, and to a variety of common environments/ biomes, for young learners. Each slim title opens with a challenge for students to find four pictures/items (an environmental feature, an animal, or a plant) and their corresponding labels in the book as they read. The text offers support for readers to find the objects, which show up again in the “Did You Find?” section at the end of each book as extra reinforcement. The photos may be used as a sort of “index” to help students return to the relevant book pages if they wish; otherwise, volumes have no back matter. Each volume employs simple, engaging language that introduces and explains the biome and its distinctive features, landscape, temperature, and other information. It’s also notable for the excellent, eye-catching color photos, with some attention-grabbing close-ups. Students will meet animals, plants, and environments they may be unfamiliar with. VERDICT Recommended for schools and public collections.