Flying Eagle
Grade 1–3—"Scanning, seeking,/east and west./Hunt continues,/cannot rest." Terse poetic lines sketch the hunting efforts of an African tawny eagle as he nears the end of a tiring day. Needing food for his hungry chick, he encounters hippos and crocodiles, a cobra and dik-diks, zebras, kudu, and more before he has a close call with the arrow of a poacher. As night falls, a weaver bird finally loses the battle and becomes supper for the chirping baby. Reflecting the sunset and evening hours of the eagle's search, Ray's watercolors place the various animals in soft focus against the "Blazing sunset,/crimson sky," (really orange here), as well as deepening shades of blue. Some dramatic views of the eagle are paired with less-distinct impressions of the other animals in the sweeping spreads. Focusing on the eagle's need to hunt and feed its young, the text never names a location, but concluding notes describe the Serengeti National Park where the animals live, the activities of poachers there, and further aspects of the tawny eagle's behavior. An additional purchase that works nicely for reading aloud and introducing African wildlife.—Margaret Bush, Simmons College, BostonCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.