Meet the strong brown Desert People who love the place where they live. The sun blazes down, and the hawks fly overhead as the lizards run in the sand. Birds nesting in the cactus sing out over the thorns. Only the toughest plants survive.

The animals share their wisdom with the Desert People. They in turn treat all creatures with respect and share everything with them. The desert provides for everyone. A year that is hard is hard for people and scorpions alike. Rain is a blessing for all and that is why it always pays to be patient. The desert has "its own kind of time," the time that snakes, rains, rocks, and Desert People go by.

Byrd Baylor draws a touching portrait of the desert community and the connections that sustain life there. The drawings by Peter Parnall are delightful.