Hawk Rising

Starred review from March 26, 2018
The spare, poetic prose of Gianferrari (Hello Goodbye Dog) joins the realistic watercolors of Floca (Princess Cora and the Crocodile) to present a day in the life of a red-tailed hawk. “Hooked beak, sharp as a knife./ Head turning./ Eyes searching./ Chicks waiting.” Muted hues illustrate moments from Father Hawk’s day as he scans for prey, sunbathes, dives after a chipmunk and sparrows, and finally snags a squirrel to bring back to the nest. All this plays out under the scrutinizing eyes of two young bird-watchers: a girl and her younger sister in a suburban neighborhood, who use binoculars to follow the progress of the feathered hunter. The second-person narration draws parallels between the girls and the hawk, as it also invites readers to imagine themselves in the scenes: “Chicks waiting./ You watching.” Painted from varying angles, dynamic spreads and vignettes present the shifting perspectives of bird-watcher, hawk, and prey. The clever pacing and placement of text match the bird’s actions across, up, and down the page. This captivating introduction to the red-tailed hawk concludes with more than a half-dozen facts about the common bird of prey and further reading. Ages 4–8. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Starred review from April 1, 2018

Gr 1-5-A young unnamed girl observes a father hawk searching for prey to feed his young offspring. Against the morning sky, the bird sits on a pole watching and waiting, until he sees a chipmunk below and dives after it. But the chipmunk escapes. The child continues to watch as the bird embarks on a number of unsuccessful endeavors, including trying to catch a sparrow. As the day sinks toward darkness, the father hawk perches once again to wait and watch-finally, he catches a squirrel. Bird and human rest as the night closes in. The lyrical text captures the excitement of observing red-tailed hawks' hunting efforts in a residential setting. Floca's stunningly accurate watercolor illustrations beautifully complement Gianferrari's text. An incredible companion to the author's Coyote Moon, this latest powerfully demonstrates the wonder that can be found in observing the natural world. Additional information about red-tailed hawks makes the book a valuable educational tool, as well. VERDICT A first purchase for most libraries.-Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
A male red-tailed hawk leaves a nest full of hatchlings to scout a suburban neighborhood for prey.Similar in tone, setting, and general course to Gianferrari's Coyote Moon, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (2016), the hawk's hunt extends from sunrise to twilight as stretches of "kiting" or "perch-hunting" from atop a utility pole are punctuated by sudden--and, twice, unsuccessful--dives at small creatures, with a mobbing by crows between. Though subject to obtrusively poetic flights ("Dandelions ripple. / Oaks tremble. / Father Hawk perches / and searches"; and, more obscurely, two references to "Mars" rising "red in the sky"), the terse narrative vividly captures both the weary vigil's length and its abrupt moments of mortal drama. Also, even though the text positions readers as "you," one of a pair of brown-skinned siblings who watch from their porch and yard, the narrative is free of anthropomorphic language. Alternating the perspective from ground level to high overhead, Floca depicts the majestic raptor with painterly magnificence, giving its variegated plumage a soft, even shaggy look that renders the climactic flashes of its massive black talons positively electrifying. The hunt finally comes to a decisive but gore-free culmination with the hawk "grabbing" a squirrel and winging off to the nearby nest. The author closes with two pages of additional facts and leads to further information.An absorbing reminder that we need never look far to see wild, beautiful nature. (Informational picture book. 6-9)

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May 15, 2018
Grades K-3 As the sun rises, Father Hawk stretches his wings. At the same time, two children wake, stretching their arms and watching as the family of red-tailed hawks go about their day. As Mother Hawk stays with the chicks, Father Hawk perches on a pole and searches for prey. Over the course of the day, he makes several failed attempts at catching prey, and the children watch as he is mobbed by crows. Eventually, as the day ends, he succeeds, carrying a squirrel back to his hungry young. Back matter provides more information on the lifestyle and habitats of the ubiquitous red-tailed hawk, and the second-person narration adds a human element as the binocular-gripping siblings follow the hawk throughout his day. The detailed illustrations provide both at-a-distance and close-up looks, while some, such as the one where the hawk finally makes his kill, are not for the faint of heart. A matter-of-fact examination of a day in the life of a creature that many readers may find familiar.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)