Early morning and a ruffle of feathers, A shadow gliding through the backyard. High above your house Father Hawk circles, sharp eyes searching for prey. From the front porch, you watch. Swoosh! He dives after chipmunks, crows, sparrows, squirrels. Screech! The sun sets low in the sky. What’s for dinner? A father red-tailed hawk hunts prey for his family in a suburban neighborhood in this thrilling, fierce, and gorgeous nonfiction picture book, Hawk Rising , illustrated by Caldecott medalist Brian Floca. Rivka Galchen of the New York Times writes: “[Hawk Rising] has a more naturalistic tone, even as the awesomeness of the central bird of prey makes the book read intensely, in the manner of a ghost story. … The prose is not cute, but instead informative and painterly: ‘Black talons curving onto wood. Hooked beak, sharp as a knife. Head turning. Eyes searching. Chicks waiting.’ Gianferrari admirably doesn’t shy away from precise language… The hawk doesn’t just fly and attack, he rides the wind ‘like a wave, twisting and turning, kiting and floating.’ Children’s stories about predators generally either choose to make the predator a villain, or to somehow obscure the predator’s way of life. ‘Hawk Rising’ does something more honest and more interesting — it simply watches.” And Horn Book review (May/June 2018): “Floca’s illustrations in a classic ink and watercolor style accompany Gianferrari’s sensory, poetic text, setting the suburban scene and offering a dynamic, naturalistic depiction of the fierce predator and its behavior. … Visually stunning and informative.” Kirkus Feature “Going Wild” Maria Gianferrari’s Hawk Rising, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Brian Floca, incorporates an effective second-person voice (‘High from the window you watch’) to put readers right in the center of this story of a somewhat suburban flavor of wild. … Gianferrari, often writing in bursts of concise, evocative sentences, marks the wonder that is the observant older girl noticing the bird in the first place. … When the author draws a parallel at the book’s close between the humans and birds —‘Through the night, safe in your nests, you and the Hawk family sleep . . . .’ — readers will be left wondering about the other ways in which the creatures are alike.” *"An incredible companion to the author's Coyote Moon...A first purchase for most libraries."―School Library Journal, starred review *"[A] captivating introduction." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review "Positively electrifying...[an] absorbing reminder that we need never look far to see wild, beautiful nature."―Kirkus Reviews Maria Gianferrari's favorite pastime is searching for perching red-tailed hawks whiledriving down the highway. When she's not driving, she loves watching birdcams.Her favorite feathered stars are Cornell hawk Big Red and her late mate, Ezra,who together raised fifteen chicks since they began nesting in 2012. Maria isthe author of Hello Goodbye Dog and Coyote Moon, both publishedby Roaring Brook Press. She lives in Virginia with her scientist husband, artist daughter, and rescue dog, Becca. Visit her at mariagianferrari.com, onFacebook or Instagram. A ruffle of feathers, a shadow gliding through the backyard. High above your house, Father Hawk circles, sharp eyes searching for prey. SWOOSH! He dives after chipmunks, crows, sparrows, squirrels. SCREECH! The sun hangs low in the sky as three hungry chicks wait. Will they eat today? Maria Gianferrari's favorite pastime is searching for perching red-tailed hawks while driving down the highway. When she's not driving, she loves watching birdcams. Her favorite feathered stars are Cornell Hawk, Big Red, and her late mate, Ezra, who together raised 15 chicks since they began nesting in 2012. Maria is the author of Hello Goodbye Dog and Coyote Moon, both published by Roaring Brook Press. She lives in Virginia with her scientist husband, artist daughter, and rescue dog, Becca. Visit her at mariagianferrari.com, on Facebook or Instagram.