Over and Under by Kate Messner Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, Chronicle Books ISBN 9781452169392 £13.99
This book in the Over and Under series of books takes young readers on a thrilling tour of a desert, looking at its ecosystem and introducing them to a hot desert canyon and allows them to read and learn not only about the baking hot desert, but also the shady areas in the canyon. It is full of information about the desert world and the variety of animals that can be found in a desert ecosystem. The beautifully illustrated double page spreads are alive with the desert images. It tells the story of one family’s walk through a real world desert environment allowing a simple but accurate look into this desert ecosystem. Teachers will find this book very useful both as a reading book for the children, but also as a teaching source for geography. The book brings to life the magic of the desert environment both by day and by night. It is brought to life with lyrical prose and superb colourful illustrations .There are also 6 wonderful pages at the end of the book giving details about all the animals and plants in the desert portrayed in this outstanding book. A must for all children between the ages of 4 and 8 years old.
Paul Baker
