Desert Voices

On the hottestsummer afternoonswhen desert creatureslook for shadeand stay close to the earthand keep their voices lowI sit high on a cactusand flingmy loud ringing trillout to the sun...So sings the Cactus Wren, one of the ten desert creatures that speaks for itself in the evocative and lyrical verses ofDesert Voices.In both text and illustration,Desert Voicesconveys a message of spirit and courage from the shy and quiet creatures of the beautiful desert land.

Byrd Baylor lives and writes in Arizona, presenting images of the Southwest and an intense connection between the land and the people. Her prose illustrates vividly the value of simplicity, the natural world, and the balance of life within it.