Uluru: Australia's Aboriginal Heart

In the middle of the Australian continent, a huge sandstone rock rises more than a thousand feet from the flat desert floor. Formerly known as Ayers Rock, this imposing landmark is now called Uluru, the name given to it by the Anangu, the Aboriginal people who live on the land around it. A site of ongoing geological processes and exceptional beauty, it is unlike any other place in the world. In her signature concise and accessible style, award-winning author Caroline Arnold discusses Uluru’s role as a sacred site for the Anangu and how the plants and animals that are part of its natural environment are an integral part of their traditional way of life. She describes the geologic processes that formed the rock’s distinctive shape and red color, the land and climate of the central Australian desert, and how wildlife has adapted to the extreme conditions. Arthur Arnold’s dramatic full-color photographs highlight the unique features and rich colors of the landscape. The area is protected as a United Nations World Heritage Site. In recognition of the rock’s significance to the Aboriginal culture, the Australian government has created the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which is visited each year by thousands of people from all over the world. Glossary, pronunciation guide, index.

Carolyn Mott Ford - Children's Literature

Uluru is a tremendous rock rising more than one thousand feet high in the Petermann Aboriginal Reserve in the continent of Australia. The sandstone formation is a sacred site to the native Anangu people. The first chapter tells the story of the rock which is now a favorite tourist site and the subsequent chapters branch out, describing the desert in which it is located. Fascinating facts and pictures about the geology, the general landscape and the birds and animals able to make their homes in the desert fill the pages. The history of Uluru and the traditions of the native people are covered and one segment is devoted to the care and protection of the land. So, although the title may lead the student to think that this book is only about Uluru, it is about much more, offering an overview of an entire region and the inhabitants. A detailed glossary and pronunciation guide is included. 2003, Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Company, Ages 8 to 12.

Caroline Arnold always loved books, but as a child she never thought of writing as a career. Born in Pittsburgh, she grew up in Minneapolis and studied art at Grinnell College and the University of Iowa. "It was only after my children were born that I became acquainted with children's books and it occurred to me that I could use my training to become a children's book illustrator. I soon realized that I needed a text to go with the pictures, and the more I wrote, the more I realized that I liked writing as much as or more than drawing. I've always been fascinated by the natural world and love to go to the parks and museums. Perhaps that is why so many of my books are about scientific topics." Arnold is now the award-winning author of more than 100 books for children. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, a neuroscientist, and teaches writing at UCLA Extension. For more information visit www.carolinearnoldbooks.com.