Coyote Raid in Cactus Canyon

Book Review:

Coyotes are in Cactus Canyon and where they go, trouble follows! Four young and rambunctious coyotes make their way into the canyon and start to harass the desert animals who live there. First, they chase the cottontail and bark at the cactus wren. They flush the quail from their cover in the prickly pear cacti. Then they growl at the antelope squirrel. When there are no more animals in the canyon to bother, they start fighting amongst themselves! When they accidently roll onto a rattlesnake, she shows them who is boss.

Jim Arnosky is both the author and the illustrator of this picture book. The desert comes alive with his watercolor illustrations. The animals are very realistically portrayed. The colors Arnosky uses are bright pinks, blues, greens, and purple. He also uses shadows in an interesting way, sometimes blacking out the animal shapes and calling attention to the bright surroundings of the canyon.

The book deals with bullying, a great topic to talk about with children. The coyotes are rambunctious troublemakers who bully other animals, including each other. They soon learn what it feels like to be bullied in turn.

Coyote Raid in Cactus Canyon would be great for a variety of age ranges and can be used in either a classroom or library setting. It is both easy to read and understand. The book can be used to show children the plants and animals that live in the desert. This would be a great book for children who are studying the desert or animal behavior.

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