9 Fun Saguaro National Park Books for Kids!
The Sonoran Desert is an amazing place with unique wildlife, ecosystems, and beautiful landscapes. These Saguaro National Park books are so fun and educational for kids to learn about the cacti, javelinas, and how the desert animals all exist together. We loved our trip to the Saguaros and reading these books with our kids brings back the best memories!
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Saguaro’s Gifts
Written by Kurt Cyrus, Illustrated by Andy Atkins
“Saguaro’s Gifts” is about a day in the life of a hundred year old saguaro. It has beautiful illustrations to go along with an incredibly well written story that Cyrus somehow made not only fun to read, but also very educational. It helps you understand and appreciate just how important a saguaro is to its desert ecosystem. This is the perfect book to read with your kids before visiting an area with saguaros! It will get you excited for all of the fun outdoorsy things to do in Tucson.
Link to buy here!
The Tinaja Tonight
Written by Aimée M. Bissonette, Illustrated by Sydney Weiler
“The Tinaja Tonight” is a fascinating and wonderfully written book about the animals that come to a watering hole throughout the night in the hot desert. The illustrations use vibrant colors that are very pleasing, yet soothing at the same time, perfectly portraying the animals and scene. There are many fascinating facts and tidbits throughout the book. You could read the story alone the first time around, then go back and read the tidbits while enjoying the story again!
Link to buy here!
The Three Little Javelinas
Written by Susan Lowell, Illustrated by Jim Harris
This children’s book is a fun adaptation of the familiar folktale, “The Three Little Pigs.” But instead of pigs and a wolf, it follows three javelina siblings and a shifty coyote in a desert full of saguaros. It even subtly throws in a few little fun facts about the Sonoran Desert and its native people along the way!
Link to buy here!
Desert Night, Desert Day
Written by Anthony D. Fredericks, Illustrated by Kenneth J. Spengler
Desert Night Desert Day is a simple but fun rhyming book about the various native creatures of the desert. The illustrations are beautiful and each page contains cleverly hidden clues about what will show up next. There’s even some interesting facts at the end that the whole family will enjoy! Our family has enjoyed this book over and over again and it really reminds us of all the beautiful hikes in Tucson.
Link to buy here!
Nature’s Yucky! 2 (The Desert Southwest)
Written by Lee Ann Landstrom and Karen I. Schragg, Illustrated by Rachel Rogge
To say our kids LOVED the book “Nature’s Yucky! 2” is an understatement. This is such an interesting kids book about several creatures in the deserts of the southwest U.S. It isn’t your ordinary informational book, however. With a fun twist and some humor, Nature’s Yucky describes the disgusting habits of these animals and why they live as they do. This book gave us so many laughs on our Death Valley trip and I would highly recommend it to anyone planning on visiting the desert!
Link to buy here!
Cactus Hotel
Written by Brenda Gulberson, Illustrated by Megan Lloyd
“Cactus Hotel” tells an interesting story about the long life cycle of a saguaro cactus. It explains how a saguaro fits perfectly in the Sonoran Desert’s ecosystem and how important it is to the many animals that live in and around it. You’d never guess, just by looking at one, just how many critters could be hidden within!
Link to buy here!
The Desert is Theirs
Written by Byrd Baylor, Illustrated by Peter Parnall
“The Desert is Theirs” is a poetic and very well written book about the people and animals that inhabit the desert. Baylor beautifully describes how the Papagos Indians lived, believing that the desert didn’t belong to them, but to the animals and plants that came before them. The illustrations seem simple at first, but look closer, and you’ll see just how perfectly they work with the writing.
Link to buy here!
What Eats What in a Desert Food Chain
Written by by Suzanne Slade, Illustrated by Anne Wertheim
This book is a short but fun read about the food chain in the desert. It gives quick and simple descriptions throughout the book about what is an herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, and scavenger. Slade does a fantastic job telling what eats what and Wertheim’s illustrations beautifully bring the story to life! There’s even a food web in the end, giving the reader a more detailed visual of the food chain.
Link to buy here!
Josefina Javelina (A Hairy Tale)
Written by Susan Lowell, Illustrated by Bruce MacPherson
Josefina Javelina is a cute and humorous kids book about a javelina who dreams of being a star. When she’s given the opportunity, however, her talent agent turns out to be an imposter with a carnivorous appetite. Josefina finds herself in a treacherous situation that changes her life. This is a whimsical story with fun rhymes and clever tunes that parents and children will both enjoy!
Link to buy here!
We hope you enjoy these Saguaro National Park books. It’s so fun for us to read books about our travels with our kids! And if you’re planning a trip to Saguaro National Park, check out some of our trip planning resources below.
