As a girl watches from her window and yard through the course of a single day, a pair of red-tailed hawks care for their chicks nesting in a cedar tree. While the female hawk stays on the nest, the male hunts for prey, missing a chipmunk and a sparrow before delivering a squirrel to his young just as the sun is setting. The drama of the hunt and the necessity of the kill are balanced by the dependency of the hungry nestlings on the success of their parent’s effort. A lyrical text and the ink and watercolor illustrations document the realistic work of an avian predator, while returning at intervals to the earthbound girl and her mother, both brown-skinned with straight black hair. (Ages 4–8)

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.