Hungry Coyote

by Cheryl Blackford (Author) Laurie Caple (Illustrator)

Hungry Coyote
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
From winter hunts to picnic foraging, Coyote makes his deliberate way through the seasons in his urban habitat. His adventures come to life in this lavishly illustrated tale. Down at the lake, Coyote is hunting, eager to fill his empty belly. When winter ice crackles, springtime frogs warble, summer thunderclouds threaten, and autumn leaves tumble, Coyote searches for his next meal. He stalks voles, rabbits, snakes, and geese, but there's no guarantee he'll catch his dinner. If his stomach growls, he'll steal vegetables from a tidy garden or nibble snacks from a trash can, maybe even leftovers from a family's picnic. Coyotes live on the plains and in deserts, on farms and in woodlands; they even live in towns and cities. In Hungry Coyote, lush, lifelike illustrations by natural history artist Laurie Caple accompany Cheryl Blackford's poetic imagining of a year in the life of an urban coyote. Across the pages, Coyote sneaks, skulks, and scurries in his constant quest to feed himself and his growing family. While Coyote hunts nearby, people enjoy a city park. At the lake, in the marsh, among the trees, children jump, twirl, and play, oblivious to his secret life. But if they listen closely they might overhear Coyote's wild nighttime conversations with his mate and pups. Is he planning his next hunt?

Cheryl Blackford is the author of three third-grade nonfiction books and the middle-grade novel Lizzie and the Stolen Baby. Laurie Caple has created artwork for more than twenty books as well as the periodicals American Girl and Cricket.
Select format:
Hardcover
$16.95

Kirkus Reviews

Starred Review

A beautiful tribute to a much-maligned animal with which we share our world. (Informational picture book. 3-7)

Copyright 2015 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with Permission

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3--Readers follow the eponymous coyote across four seasons in his city park habitat. The creature is introduced in winter, where people in colorful coats play in the snow unaware of the nearby coyote unsuccessfully hunting for his dinner. Spring finds him at the same lake, now marshy and teeming with dining options. The coyote's mate has given birth to six pups in a memorial rock garden. Summer features a stolen sausage chain from picnickers, which makes a treat for the quickly growing puppies. Soon children playing in leaves compose the foreground, while silhouetted coyote pair howls on the distant shore. The coyote family feasts on a Canada goose amid flurries. An afterword details the lives of city coyotes, focusing on their habitats and eating habits, as well as advice on what do during an encounter. The gorgeous watercolors depicting wildlife in its urban park setting are strikingly realistic. VERDICT An interesting and informative read.--Laura Hunter, Mount Laurel Library, NJ

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Cheryl Blackford
Born in Yorkshire, England, Cheryl Blackford developed a passion for fossils and rocks when she was thirteen and would later graduate with a degree in geology. She has been fossil hunting in Lyme Regis and studied Anning artifacts and archival materials in Oxford and Bristol. This is her first biography for children. She lives in Minnesota. cherylblackford.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780873519649
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Minnesota Historical Society Press
Publication date
May 20, 2015
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV029000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | General
JUV002250 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Wolves & Coyotes
Library of Congress categories
Seasons
Coyote
Urban animals
Moonbeam Children's Book Award
Gold Medal Winner 2015 - 2015

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