Arizona Children’s Author: Byrd Baylor

--by Hanje Richards.

Byrd Baylor (born March, 28 1924 in Texas) is an author of picture books for children. Four of her books have achieved Caldecott Honor status. She currently lives in Arivaca, AZ. Baylor’s words have often been paired with the illustrations of Peter Parnall. Three of her Caldecott Honor Books were illustrated by Parnall, and the fourth by Arizona artist Tom Bahti. Parnall has illustrated over fifty books written by others and has authored and self-illustrated several books of his own, often studies of habitats. His favorite medium is pen and ink of subjects from the natural world..

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Amigo - Francisco is a lonely boy. Amigo is a prairie dog. They both live in the desert, and both want someone to play with. Francisco thinks that he's "taming" Amigo, his pet -- but Amigo knows better.

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And It Is Still That Way: Legends Told by Arizona Indian Children - A collection of traditional tales from the Indians of Arizona, arranged in the categories "Why Animals Are the Way They Are," "Why Our World Is Like It Is," "Great Troubles and Great Heroes," "People Can Turn Into Anything," "Brother Coyote," and "There Is Magic All Around Us."

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The Best Town in the World - A nostalgic view of the best town in the world, where dogs were smarter, chickens laid prettier brown eggs, wildflowers grew taller and thicker, and the people knew how to make the best chocolate cakes and toys in the world.

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The Desert Is Theirs - You may think of the desert as a harsh, dry place where no one would ever want to live -- but think again. The Desert People know. So do the animals. Both love the land, and "share the feeling of being brothers in the desert, of being desert creatures together." Caldecott Honor Award with Illustrator Peter Parnall.

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Desert Voices - Ten desert creatures speak for themselves in evocative and lyrical voices.

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Hawk, I’m Your Brother - A Native American boy captures a hawk in the hopes that he can also capture some sense of its ability to fly. Caldecott Honor Award with Illustrator Peter Parnall.

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Moon Song - After giving birth to Coyote Child and leaving him to fend for himself, Mother Moon listens for the moon song of all coyotes.

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The Way to Start A Day - Describes how people all over the world celebrate the sunrise. Caldecott Honor Award with Illustrator Peter Parnall.

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When Clay Sings - Pieces of broken pots are scattered over the desert hillsides of the Southwest. The Indians there treat them with respect -- "Every piece of clay is a piece of someone's life," they say. And the children try to imagine those lives that took place in the desert they think of as their own. Clay has its own small voice, and sings. Its song has lasted for thousands of years. And Byrd Baylor's prose-poem, as simple and powerful as the clay pots, sings too.