Hawk Mother: The Story of a Red-Tailed Hawk Who Hatched Chickens

Zoologist Hagedorn tells the story of Sunshine, a red-tailed hawk she adopted after the bird was shot by a hunter and left incapable of surviving in the wild. In plainspoken present-tense narration, Hagedorn details how she has cared for Sunshine over time: "Every day I help her out into the yard so she can bathe in the rain or stretch her broken wing in the warm sunlight." After Sunshine constructed nests and laid (unfertilized) eggs for several years, Hagedorn tried placing two fertile chicken eggs in Sunshine's nest, an experiment that paid off when the hawk accepted the chicks that hatched as her own. Large, close-up photographs show Sunshine caring for the chicks until they are full-grown roosters. A tender story of cross-species relationships--most movingly, perhaps, the one between Sunshine and the author. Ages 5-9. (Sept.)

K-Gr 4--When a bullet forever impairs Sunshine, a beautiful red-tailed hawk, she is cared for in captivity and given a second chance at life. Author and zoologist Hagedorn tells the story of how she adopted this magnificent wild creature, and how she helped Sunshine heal from the terrible injury that eliminated any chance of the hawk surviving in the wild. Though no longer in pain, Sunshine's life in captivity limits her ability to act on natural instincts, the strongest of which are to nest and nurture young. Hagedorn explains, in accessible language, how she was able to help Sunshine become a surrogate mother to two young chickens. While the photographs sometimes lack professional quality, the author makes up for the fuzziness with the book's text. She uses clear language and highlights new terms for readers, who are then able to define those terms using the glossary in the back of the book. VERDICT A softhearted read for young naturalists, or any children interested in animal behavior, recommended for elementary school libraries.--Hannah Ralston, Webster Public Library, NY