Eyewonder: Desert : Open Your Eyes to a World of Discovery

Theres more to deserts than sand, camels, and cacti! Discover the hidden dangers of Earths driest regions, from buried snakes to blinding dust storms, and find out how people, animals, and plants cope with the daily challenge to find water. Packed with facts, accessible text, and dramatic, atmospheric photography, Eye Wonders are the perfect educational start for young children. Full-color photography is paired with clearly written text in these exciting first reference books about history and the natural world. Journey through Africa, America, and Australia and witness the amazing survival techniques of camels, kangaroos, snakes, scorpions, and other animals in hot deserts. Compare them to the guanacos, flamingos, and even penguins of the coastal and cold deserts such as the Atacama, Namib, Gobi, and Patagonia. We also tackle the tricky question of Antarctica – is this the biggest desert in the world? We pop in on the people of the desert: where and how do Bedouins, Tuaregs, Aborigines, and Rajasthanis live? What are their homes like, their clothes, their food? How is it different for the Mongolians in the Gobi? No desert book would be complete without the plant symbol of thedesert: the cactus. We show how these and other hardy plants survive inthe dry land. The book ends with a look to the future: desertification. The spreading desert is a major concern for the environment, but what are the causes (global warming, misuse of land), what does it mean for us (a quarter of land on Earth and around 250 million people are affected by desertification), and how can we stop it? Desert presents all the facts in the clear, colourful way people trust the "Eye Wonder" series to deliver. Stunning photography brings the subject alive for the reader, and accessible text (complete with glossary) give a level of understanding ideal for the 5-10 age-group. The series is perfect for school projects and home reading. Preliminaries......Page 1 Contents......Page 4 What is a desert?......Page 6 Where in the world?......Page 8 Stacks of sand......Page 10 Dust storm!......Page 12 Water of life......Page 14 The Sahara......Page 16 Staying alive......Page 18 Night hunters......Page 20 Poison!......Page 22 Camels up close......Page 24 Down under......Page 26 Cactus country......Page 28 The desert in bloom......Page 30 Who lives there?......Page 32 Desert daily life......Page 34 Food and drink......Page 36 Twice as tough......Page 38 Living in the Gobi......Page 40 It’s cool to be coastal......Page 42 Is it a desert?......Page 44 The growing desert......Page 46 Glossary......Page 48 Index and acknowledgments......Page 50 There's more to deserts than sand, camels, and cacti!Which deserts would you need a warm coat in? How do people cope with sandstorms? And which animals lick saliva off their paws to stay alive?From the Sahara to the Australian Great Sandy, explore Earth's driest regions and discover the desert's hidden dangers, from buried snakes to sandstorms. Find out how people, animals, and plants cope with the daily challenge to find water. All aspects of these amazing locations are covered in fascinating photographic detail. Brilliant for homework and school projects, or just for fun! Preliminaries 1 Contents 4 What is a desert? 6 Where in the world? 8 Stacks of sand 10 Dust storm! 12 Water of life 14 The Sahara 16 Staying alive 18 Night hunters 20 Poison! 22 Camels up close 24 Down under 26 Cactus country 28 The desert in bloom 30 Who lives there? 32 Desert daily life 34 Food and drink 36 Twice as tough 38 Living in the Gobi 40 It鈥檚 cool to be coastal 42 Is it a desert? 44 The growing desert 46 Glossary 48 Index and acknowledgments 50 Introduces the plants, animals, and peoples that live in deserts and describes what kind of adaptations they have have developed to live in such a spare environment