Coyote Moon

Quietly poetic text and show-stopping artwork create a tense account of a coyote's nocturnal search for food. Gianferrari (the Penny & Jelly books) instantly establishes an atmospheric setting, opening as "Coyote wakes in her den, / a hollowed-out pine in a cemetery." Ibatoulline's paintings, always impressive, are downright astonishing in this book. He opts for a worm's-eye view in this opening scene, showing Coyote padding along as tombstones loom beside scraggly pines, moonlight filtering eerily through cloud cover. Paying near-photographic attention to the modulating light as daybreak approaches, as well as Coyote's feathery fur and the suburban neighborhood she prowls, Ibatoulline (A Little Women Christmas) follows the predator's failed attempts to secure a mouse, rabbit, and geese eggs--including a dramatic, startling "pounce!" scene--before finally capturing a turkey to feed her family. Structured like verse, Gianferrari's crisp sentences are simultaneously graceful and matter-of-fact in their observations ("Coyote threads through rusty reeds"), and a closing section of "coyote facts" goes into greater detail about how and where the canines live. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agency: Gallt and Zacker Literary. (July)

K-Gr 2--A captivating and atmospheric title about a mother coyote on the hunt through a suburban landscape. Readers join the coyote as she leaves her pups in the den and travels through a neighborhood, a golf course, and a lakeside--all in pursuit of a mouse, a flock of geese, a rabbit, and, finally, one unfortunate turkey. The text is spare, with a focus on the coyote's movement and use of her senses: she listens to the scratching of the mouse, sniffs the air and smells the geese, lunges, slinks, pounces, and much more. With the arrival of the sun and the success of her hunt, the coyote lets out a celebratory "Yeeeep-yip-yip-yoooo" before heading back to feed and snuggle with her young. Readers looking for straightforward facts won't find them within the text; the dynamic and richly detailed illustrations are what tell the story here. Ibatoulline uses color, shadow, and dramatic angles to portray the coyote's athleticism, her hunting style, the flight response of her prey, and the passage of time (the narrative begins at night and ends with dawn). Back matter expands on the coyote's origin in the United States and its habitat, territory, diet, physical abilities, communication, and family structure. VERDICT Simple text and remarkable artwork make this a great selection for read-alouds and parent-child bonding.--Kelly Topita, Anne Arundel County Public Library, MD

3 starred reviews
An ALA Notable Book

"Simple text and remarkable artwork make this a great selection for read-alouds and parent-child bonding."—School Library Journal, starred review

""Yip-yip-yip-yip!" indeed, for this sympathetic portrayal of a not-often-celebrated creature who shares our world."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Quietly poetic text and show-stopping."—Publishers weekly, starred review