A poacher’s arrow pierces a hawk and he almost starves—until he’s rescued by humans and survives. The author and artist manage to depict the details of the raptor killing mice and snakes for food—and when he breaks his leg trying to free himself from being wedged in a tree—without being gory or gruesome. The full-page artwork realistically and poetically captures the feathery features and never shows the humans, which effectively retains the hawk’s perspective. Tightly bound, a few of the double spreads dip into the gutter but the aerial views and atmospheric backgrounds make this ecology lesson an effective nonfiction drama enveloped in a narrative. Two pages of back matter relate the true account of the real Arrowhawk with a photo showing the arrow through him along with information on red-tailed hawks. Based on a true story and told in unemotional prose illustrated with beautiful, airy acrylic paintings, this will instill an appreciation for the beauty of birds of prey and their role in nature. (Picture book. 4-7)
