Check It Out - Falcon

FALCON (written and illustrated by Tim Jessell)

Easton seems to be filled with red-tailed hawks this spring.  Every day I see them floating high above me or perched on streetlights.  If your children are noticing these birds of prey and talking about them, then your family will surely enjoy Falcon, the story of a different species of raptor.

A young boy imagines that he is a falcon who flies in the wilderness and then makes his way to a city of skyscrapers.  Richly colored paintings change perspective from vast landscapes to close-ups of the bird in flight.  The story is written in the boy’s voice:  “No bird would dare to venture out when I came into view, for my eyes would be as strong as my talons were sharp.” 

The text is short enough to hold the attention of a preschool naturalist and informative enough to share with children through fourth grade or so.  For an accompanying field trip, make your way to The Raptor Trust in Millington, NJ, to see injured raptors being cared for.  For an armchair field trip, try this National Geographic video about a pilot measuring the flying speed of a falcon.