Reviewed Books:
July 2005
Release Date

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Reviewed Books:
July 2005 Release Date

This is the Oasis by Miriam Moss Gardners Books Age Level: Preschool and up

SurLaLune's Review: This is the Oasis" follows in the vein of Miriam Moss's previous book, "This is the Tree," about an African baobab tree. The book begins by looking at an oasis from a distance and detailing some common desert animals and phenomena as we move closer to the oasis itself. Once inside the oasis, author and illustrator show the inhabitants of the oasis, from fauna to humans. Every two page spread contains two concepts detailed in two stanzas and picked up in the illustrations. Each stanza begins with the phrase "This is the place..." which becomes wearisome, especially during a read aloud. The illustrations are colorful and appealing, making up for the text's deficiencies. The book serves well as a basic introduction to oasis living, but might inspire more questions than it answers. A short glossary at the end of the book expounds upon common desert names and terms, but still doesn't compensate for the slight, strained text of the bulk of the book.

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