Prepare to be dazzled by the incredibly biodiverse life thriving and surviving in this immense desert.

Say “desert” and many folks will picture sand, clouds of dust, a smattering of cactuses, and perhaps a tenacious reptile or scorpion fighting for their thirsty lives. But Arizona’s Sonoran Desert breaks those barren stereotypes. Sonoran Desert Explorer, penned by expert staff at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, introduces curious readers and intrepid explorers to the myriad “biomes, animals, plants, geology, and cultures they may come across” when exploring this 120,000-square-mile expanse. With over 180 fun profiles of wild flora and fauna observed in this expanse, 20 adventurous field trip options for all nature enthusiasts, and riveting and inclusive natural history insights, Sonoran Desert Explorer will reveal to many just how biodiverse and colorful this desert truly is.