An educational picture story of discovery about the Desert Tortoise and the threat to its habitat, this is also a story of what it means to be a friend. Subtitles on each page create a poem about friendship that can be read to young readers, while the story teaches older children and adults about these gentle, intelligent, and threatened members of the reptile family. This non-fiction account, illustrated with a mixed media presentation of photographs, plein air watercolor sketches and detailed paintings, provides an excellent introduction to the study of reptiles, endangered species, or the environment. The Desert Tortoise has been on the U.S. Federal Endangered Species list as "threatened" for more than a decade, but books like this can be a positive force in the initiative to reverse that. Included are lists of websites for more information about the Desert Tortoise and a glossary of important words to know.