Desert Surprise Series

The author and the illustrator of Lindsey’s Desert Surprise are both educators. They want their book to help children learn about the wildlife in the desert. They also want children to gain an appreciation for the artwork. To help encourage an interactive reading and discussion of the book the following page is printed at the back of Lindsey’s Desert Surprise. The future books in the series will follow this format.

IDEAS THAT MAKE THE STORY INTERACTIVE

To make this story interactive it can be read a page at a time. The listener can be asked to identify the animal Lindsey sees before turning the page to see the illustration of the animal. Even the youngest child can take part in this guessing game.

To encourage the child to think critically, the following questions can be discussed. The discussion can center on the ecology of the area as well as an appreciation of the artistic illustrations. Most importantly, have fun!

Why are the animals hard to see at first? What colors are the animals? Why are the animals colored like they are in the illustrations? What decorations do they have? Can you find patterns on them?

If you could touch the animals how would they feel to you (smooth, soft, feathery, fuzzy)? How do the illustrations show this texture?

What kind (species) of animal is each? What do the animals eat? Where do the animals sleep?

Why is each animal important? What do they do? Why do we have to be careful around the animals?

How do the animals protect themselves? Should you touch a wild animal? Why or why not?

Where are the animals? Why did the animals choose live in this area? Why should we take care of the desert?

If you could name the animal, what would you call it?

In the story, Lindsey has many feelings as she sees the animals. How do feel when you see them?

Give each illustration a title.

What other things do you see in the desert besides the animals?