Arrowhawk: A True Survival Story - Softcover

Schaefer, Lola M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1250039886 ISBN 13: 9781250039880

Publisher: Square Fish, 2014

Synopsis

Familiar hands tossed him gently into the winter air. Hawk flapped his wings and skimmed the earth. Then he beat his wings harder, rose, and flew over the trees. And straight as an arrow, Hawk soared into the wild.

The story of an injured red-tailed hawk's survival and freedom

A hungry red-tailed hawk sits near a fence post and devours his catch. Out of nowhere a poacher's arrow pierces his body, seriously injuring him and leaving him to fend for himself.

This is the courageous true story of Arrowhawk-an endangered bird of prey who, with sheer determination and will, survives eight weeks in the wild with a poacher's arrow through his thigh and tail. Stunning illustrations capture his remarkable journey from peril and rescue to eventual freedom.

Arrowhawk is a 2005 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year.

About this title

About the Author

LOLA M. SCHAEFER is the author of several acclaimed books for children, including This Is the Sunflower and This Is the Rain. In 1997, she and her fourth-grade students followed the Michigan and Indiana news releases of a red-tailed hawk injured by a poacher's arrow. Impassioned by the bird's will to survive, Ms. Schaefer was determined to share his amazing story with children. She lives with her family in Garrett, Indiana.

GABI SWIATKOWSKA is the illustrator of My Name Is Yoon and Hannah's Bookmobile Christmas, which Booklist praised as "beautiful" and "atmospheric." A freelance artist who studied painting at the Liceum of Art in Bielsko, Poland, and a former preschool teacher, Ms. Swiatkowska lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Review

“Gorgeous paintings fill the pages, lending mood, light, and information. . . . Unusual in its narration from the wild animal's point of view, this is an important and dramatic tale that should be widely shared with children.” ―School Library Journal

“* Based on a true story and told in unemotional prose illustrated with beautiful, airy acrylic paintings, this will instill appreciation for the beauty of birds of prey and their role in nature.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Arrowhawk is a dramatic, painful tale of nature with a fortunate upbeat ending.” ―Sacramento Bee

“Swiatkowska's rich acrylics have beautiful soft edges and fine detail.” ―Booklist

“Schaefer does this the hard and admirable way. She tells it from the point of view of the bird with no cheap tricks. No anthropomorphism. No bird-with-human-feelings. . . .Arrowhawk is simply a dignified and powerful creature.” ―San Diego Union Tribune

“Throughout the illustrations, as in the text, Hawk's wild and defiant persona dominates, neither softened nor anthropomorphized. The result is a tale of courage and compassion, made compelling by its narrow focus.” ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

About this edition

• Publisher: Square Fish
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1250039886
• ISBN 13: 9781250039880
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Swiatkowska Gabi