On the hottest

summer afternoons

when desert creatures

look for shade

and stay close to the earth

and keep their voices low I sit high on a cactus

and fling

my loud ringing trill

out to the sun... So sings the Cactus Wren, one of the ten desert creatures that speaks for itself in the evocative and lyrical verses of Desert Voices. In both text and illustration, Desert Voices conveys a message of spirit and courage from the shy and quiet creatures of the beautiful desert land.