Bobcat Prowling, written by Maria Gianferrari and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Raoring Brook Press, Macmillan. Raincoast. 2022. $25.99 ages 5 and up

"This is Coyote's territory.
Yearling sprints, 
but Coyote is close behind. 
Yearling races up the red maple, 
dropping Pheasant. 

Coyote eats and waits, 
waits and eats.
But he's not as patient as Yearling ... 

Now napping under the stars."

This is a terrific companion to two earlier books, Coyote Moon and Hawk Rising. Mother Bobcat is anxious to send her young Yearling into the world, as she prepares to find a mate and raise a new batch of kittens. It's up to Yearling to find his own way now. 

His journey will not be short and simple. He must first get himself away from the other bobcats in his mother's range. His travel through a winter landscape is fraught with difficulties: wind, ice, seeking needed shelter, mounds of snow, and finding food. Snowshoe Hare looks perfect. Oops! This territory is claimed by Canada Lynx. The same scenario plays out again and again. 

Yearling is persistent, as he needs to be. By spring, Yearling is a Bobcat. His journey continues until he finds Old Bobcat, dead on the side of the road. This discovery leads to a new life for Bobcat. 

"Bobcat sniffs, rakes trees with its claws, 
scrapes soil, and sprays, 
marking his territory."

He hunts, rests, eats again. It has been a long adventurous route to finding a home. Doing so is what has kept him moving ever forward. 

Bobcat's story is told poetically, and makes for fascinating narrative nonfiction. Ms. Gianferrari has proven her knack for creating main characters that evoke empathy. Mr. Ibatoulline's magnificent watercolor artwork matches the text and makes Yearling's journey very real for readers. The cold of winter is apparent, the search for food disconcerting, the arrival of spring welcome, and the release found in finding his own space soothing - all shown in great detail in scenes full of action and emotion. 

Back matter contains three sections - All About Bobcats, How to Hunt Like a Bobcat and What's on the Menu. This welcome material is followed by a list for further reading and another of websites and videos available for further learning.