Falcon

PreS-Gr 3—Budding naturalists and lovers of art will be thrilled with this book. The opening line, "If I were a falcon…," invites readers to imagine taking wing. In a series of breathtaking paintings, Jessell provides a bird's-eye view of the raptor in flight, as well as sweeping panoramas that show how it interacts with landscapes as diverse as mountains, sea cliffs, and skyscrapers. While there is no real story line, readers will find this meditation on the pure majesty of the birds satisfying. The slightly anthropomorphized text has the peregrine enjoying the surprised city-dwellers' reactions as it swoops above their heads, but after all, this is the bird as imagined by the narrating boy who frames the story. The solemn, lyrical text suits the feelings usually associated with raptors. The detailed realism, beautiful light, and dynamic perspective in the illustrations reinforce the atmosphere created by the text. The author/illustrator does a masterful job of conveying his own fascination with the birds in this winning book.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL