When some think of Death Valley, a barren wasteland comes to mind. Far from it, the area, now a protected national park known for its extreme temperatures, is teeming with a diverse range of endemic species, plants, and terrain. Children's story Fish in the Desert explores the fascinating and tiny 'pupfish, ' the world's rarest fish who have withstood the harsh conditions of Death Valley since the Pleistocene epoch.
The story follows Adele, a young girl, on a road trip with her family to Death Valley National Park in Southeastern California near the border with Nevada. They begin their tour at Badwater Basin, whose salt-crusted floor results from a bygone lake that had evaporated over thousands of years. At Salt Creek, Adele spots a beautiful and tiny blue and purple fish that the park's Aquatic Ecologist tells the family is called a pupfish, an endangered fish species renowned for its ability to exist with the intense heat and salt and even adapt to a changing ecosystem over thousands of years.
Young readers will learn how the tenacious pupfish, originally among many types of sea life, are the only species to have survived the climate change and extreme conditions of Death Valley and how there are even subspecies of pupfish who evolved separately in different pools of water. A back-of-book glossary explains terms used throughout the book, such as food chains, habitats, adaptations, and endangered species, while an ending spread shares picture prompts inviting readers on a search to find various plants and animals in the book that make Death Valley their home.
Educators and families of young children will delight in a book that uses engaging storytelling to highlight the importance of nature, environmental stewardship, and wildlife conservation to prevent the loss of an incredible endangered species and the unique and interesting ecosystem in which it lives. Fish in the Desert is the first installment in the Bringing National Parks to Life series, which focuses on a different protected location within the U.S. National Park Service and Wildlife Refuge.
With stunning illustrations and fascinating facts, this book is perfect for young nature lovers, inviting them to explore the wonders of our planet and celebrate the pupfish's astonishing survival skills.