Arrowhawk: A True Survival Story (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12)
Gr. 2-3, younger for reading aloud. In 1997, a young red-tailed hawk was hit by a poacher's arrow, survived for some time, was captured, cared for, and released in the Midwest. Schaefer, whose fourth-graders followed the news stories about the hawk, has turned this event into a picture book for older readers. By taking the point of view of the hawk, she has anthropomorphized the raptor in ways that sometimes seem stilted. Children may be mesmerized, though, by the hawk's efforts to fly, and to capture prey and feed, with an arrow piercing its thigh and tail. The capture and healing of the bird are handled gently, and the story ends with its release to the wild. Swiatkowska's rich acrylics have beautiful soft edges and fine detail, demonstrating the hawk in many guises as it struggles to do what a raptor's gotta do despite the protruding arrow. The photograph of Arrowhawk at the end shows how elegantly the artist captured the contours and coloration of the hawk.GraceAnne DeCandidoCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved