Ballad of Cactus Joe by Lily Murray

[Printers Row] This delightful, read-aloud picture book follows one prickly saguaro named Cactus Joe who prefers a lonesome life until one day he faces one visitor after another, after another. Cactus Joe just wants to be alone...or does he? Winner of the 35th Annual “Reading the West Book Award” for the Picture Books Category "The repeated refrain lends itself well to a readaloud in classrooms and libraries. The plot leaves plenty of room for discussion about behavior and communication for even the prickliest child.” —Becca Worthington, Booklist All alone in the hot, dusty desert lives Cactus Joe, who sings his lonesome song each night and prefers being by himself. Then one day, a woodpecker arrives and offers to eat the insects off Cactus Joe in return for a place to stay. Sooner than Cactus Joe can say “prickle machine,” more visitors arrive, and Cactus Joe has had enough! The Ballad of Cactus Joe is a heartwarming picture book featuring a prickly, but beloved, saguaro c