Darlene Kryza Hartigan
 |
|
Kiss Rattle Slither is a non-fiction book about wonderful, yet dangerous desert-dwelling creatures— bringing awareness to the youngest of children—those who are not yet able to identify which creatures pose a potential to cause harm. The simple lessons learned within these pages are 1) to distinguish these creatures from ones that may look similar and 2) to understand not to approach or handle any desert creature until a parent or guardian can be notified. This book will not stifle curiosity, but gain respect for all creatures that make their homes in the glorious deserts of the United States and Mexico.
Writer and artist, Darlene Kryza Hartigan, has a BFA in photography from Wayne State University and a MFA in photography and sculpture from the University of Chicago. Her move to the southwestern United States in 2001 was a call to get reacquainted with the sky above her head and the earth beneath her feet. She makes her living as a graphic designer and writer on a remote ranch on the Arizona/Mexico border. As the mother of a precocious and fearless daughter living in the high desert grasslands, she has found the writing of this book to be a necessity. This is her first non-fiction children’s book.
Black Widow Spider
(Latrodectus hesperus)
Kiss Rattle Slither,
Waddle Creep and CRAWL
A female black widow spider
spins a web like a tattered shawl.
But NEVER, EVER touch me,
not even my stomach’s red hourglass shape.
Instead, step back and watch,
as my “spider snack” tries to escape.
