Desert Jungle (Jeannie Baker, Walker)
Nearly seven years since her last picture storybook, Jeannie Baker returns in top form with Desert Jungle, a breath of fresh air in children’s books, offering a humble and vital take on conservation and the nature nurturing that Baker is known for. The story starts with our protagonist, a young unnamed boy living in a village of dry dust and cacti, who visits his grandfather’s house in the Mexican desert for a holiday. Ignoring Grandpa’s efforts to have him learn of the beauty of the desert, the boy is more concerned with playing on his tablet. But only when the boy is lost in the desert does he become friendly with the wildlife jungle, using it to guide his way home. The boy and Grandpa relish the new bond between them, and the boy eagerly takes this knowledge home with him. Baker’s well-known use of nature in her collage illustrations is lively and engaging in Desert Jungle. Accompanying the gloriously bright artwork is a text of warmth and richness, infused with the child’s curiosity and wonder. An enlightening, intricate story (with endnotes sharing Baker’s experience researching and writing the story in the Mexican desert, and facts about plants and creatures found in deserts), Desert Jungle is the modern-day Where the Forest Meets the Sea. Highly recommended for all children, and fans of Baker’s previous books who will relish the opportunity to revisit this beloved author’s work.
Books+Publishing reviewer: Brenton Cullen is a Queensland writer and reviewer with over 10 years’ experience in bookselling. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
