While the rest of the animals hide from view from a group of rambunctious coyotes, the fearless gang takes full advantage of the open space of Cactus Canyon and participates with great zeal in an array of nighttime activities, but an unexpected encounter with a rattlesnake quickly puts an end to the coyotes fun as they are sent running for cover, too! Kindergarten-Grade 2–All is peaceful in Cactus Canyon until a gang of coyotes brings trouble. "Ornery and full of mischief," the creatures terrorize the cottontail, cactus wren, quail, and antelope squirrel. When they're unsuccessful in capturing any of their prey, they turn on one another and start to brawl until they are surprised by a huge rattlesnake. The standoff ends with the coyotes fleeing the canyon and calm returning to it. Arnosky's high-quality, full-spread illustrations add substantially to this tale. With its vivid artwork painted in striking Southwestern hues, the book would supplement a desert biome unit nicely. While it's somewhat misleading to characterize the coyotes as rowdy bad boys instead of natural predators, kids will definitely get the idea, and, even though the little guys prevailed on this particular day, it's clear that the gang will be back again soon. –Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA