Author: Maria Gianferrari Illustrator: Brian Floca Roaring Brook Press June 2018
Synopsis (From Publisher):
Early morning and a ruffle of feathers, A shadow gliding through the backyard. High above your house Father Hawk circles, sharp eyes searching for prey. From the front porch, you watch. Swoosh! He dives after chipmunks, crows, sparrows, squirrels. Screech! The sun sets low in the sky. What’s for dinner? A father red-tailed hawk hunts prey for his family in a suburban neighborhood in this thrilling, fierce, and gorgeous nonfiction picture book.
CWR Review:
This story gives readers an opportunity a observe a day in the life of a red-tailed hawk trying to find food for his family. In poetic form, the author shows the different ways hawks hunt and dive, how often times their food escapes, as well as the kind of small animals that they eat. Throughout the story a young girl is watching the father hawk trying to get his meal. This is a great story for budding bird watchers and especially those interested in hawks of any kind.
What to expect- I am a fan of Brian Floca’s illustrations! Beautifully detailed and bright, Mr. Floca skillfully captures the fierceness of the hawks expression, the curiosity of the little girl that observes, and the terrifying countenance of the animals the father hawk hunts for. I am personally interested in the talons of bird predators. We dont realize just how big these talons are, I was able to get a glimpse one time and it is breathtaking. Floca illustrates the monstrosity of the hawks talons perfectly in this book. My kids very quickly pointed it out.
Vivid, fascinating, read it slow…get yours here or here.
Themes- Birds, hawks, birds of prey
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