The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Schaefer, Lola M.

Arrowhawk

32 pp. | Holt | May, 2004 | Trade ISBN 0-8050-6371-4 $$16.95

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska. Based on the true story of a red-tailed hawk that lived in the wild for eight weeks with a poacher's arrow lodged in its thigh and tail, this remarkable survival tale gives the raptor's perspective of its ordeal and rehabilitation without undue anthropomorphism. Though striking, the accompanying paintings often use a soft-focus technique that makes the hawk look like a different bird from one illustration to the next.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann