Bold and colorful paintings of animals and trees of the Kalahari Desert help tell the tale of friends Ostrich and Lark.  Ostrich and Lark spend each day together, wandering under the African sun.  Lark sings and flits as Ostrich remains silent.  One day, Ostrich surprises Lark and the veld by booming his own powerful voice.  Marilyn Nelson begins the book with a note about the !Kung San, one of the many indigenous people of South Africa.  The paintings are done by six members of the Kuru Art Project of Batswana.  Broad, colorful strokes in vibrant oranges, reds, greens, blues, and browns create vivid images which complement this simple tale.