Our world keeps getting polluted and abused, so books like this one are great at showing the younger generation, why we need to take care of all of the Earth, not just where we live in particular. Every place has a purpose.

Who Needs a Desert?
A Desert Ecosystem
by Karen Patkau
Random House of Canada Limited
Tundra Books
Children's Nonfiction
These Karen Patkau books are a treasure. They're well written--lean sentences with zip:



The sun burns in a cloudless sky. Scrubby "Yip-yip-awoooo," howls a lone coyote. Plants, rocks and boulders are scattered. In the distance, another howls back.
The books illustrate and explain the core concepts well. How do plants and animals thrive where there's so little water? How do nutrients and energy flow through the system? What kind of climate impacts it? What can damage a desert?



The book also includes a glossary and further explanations for the inhabitants that occupy the desert ecosystem.



These books are sure to stun the special science nerd in your house or classroom.