talons thrashing
in branches.
Once.
Twice.
Then again
and again.
Shielded by bramble,
Sparrows are safe."
What an introduction to the red-tailed hawk this is! In lovely language and poetic form, Ms. Gianferrari presents the majestic father bird in pursuit of food for his three newborn nestlings. They are hungry, and it is his job to bring what they need to sustain them and help them grow strong.
His furtive attempts are met with failure, as first a chipmunk escapes to the safety of a porch. Then, keen eyes help him spot a group of sparrows. Thwarted by the bushes that surround them, he must take to the sky once more. This time he achieves success.
"Father Hawk spots
a squirrel scurrying
toward a tree.
He parachutes.
Legs tipping,
talons gripping ...
and grabbing."
Persistence pays off, and Father Hawk returns triumphant to the nest. The chicks are fed, their screeches quieted. Safe and full, the family can sleep, as can the pair of watchers who have been focused with binoculars on the hawk and his day's search. All will be quiet until the morning, when the hunt for food will begin again in earnest.
The beautifully rendered and realistic watercolor images, and brilliantly designed pages, allow readers a clear and careful look at the hawk's many actions as he weaves his way across the sky, soaring high and plunging downward in hopes of capturing his family's meal. The ever-changing perspectives capture the eye, and keep the reader's attention glued to the action.
Two final pages offer red-tailed hawk facts, as well as a list for further reading, viewing and accessing information on the Internet.
As she did in Coyote Moon (Roaring Brook, 2016), Ms. Gianferrari reminds her audience to be
ever cognizant of the wild beauty in the world around us.
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