Coyote and Badger: Desert Hunters of the Southwest [Hardcover]

Bruce Hiscock (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-Hiscock's fictionalized portrait of animals desperate for food reveals the instinctive predatory nature of a coyote and the patient skill of a badger; the two creatures form a bond and hunt together in Chaco Canyon, NM. The narrative encompasses dangers from the ground to the sky, a thorough picture of the environment, and the suddenness of death there. Teamwork between coyotes and badgers is explained in an author's note that outlines historical and scientific basis for their relationship. Hiscock's full-page illustrations in a pastel palette reflect the warmth of the Southwestern sun. The unspoken presence of humans in the desert echoes on each page with the appearance of small petroglyphs and buried Indian artifacts. Details of animal life lead readers from page to page with cross-sectional views of the homes of squirrels, badgers, and ants, and the soaring skies claimed by the eagle. The research and realism of this story present a useful addition to animal studies.

Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. With food scarce in Chaco Canyon, a drought-stricken New Mexico desert, Coyote and Badger discover, quite by accident, that a partnership benefits them both. Here's how it works: Badger, a great digger, goes after underground prey, some of which escapes above ground, where Coyote is standing by to snatch it up. Any prey above ground that Coyote can't catch is chased underground, where Badger waits to make the kill. In an ending author's note, Hiscock claims this type of hunting partnership between coyote and badger "is well known and often mentioned in Native American stories." This fictional tale is the product of an actual animal encounter Hiscock observed, his research, and, of course, his imagination. Realistic watercolor illustrations, including some lovely desert scenes, accompany the lengthy text. A good complement to a study of animal behavior, the desert, or Native American culture. Lauren Peterson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press; 1 edition (January 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563978482
• ISBN-13: 978-1563978487
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,126,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious Mammal Behavior, April 3, 2003

By 

W. Wilson "wolfhounddude" (Oakland, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Coyote and Badger: Desert Hunters of the Southwest (Hardcover)

How many people reading this know that badgers and coyotes sometimes enter into cooperative relationships in order to hunt more successfully? Elegant, artful, and playful illustations accompany a blunt text about hunger and duress during a drought in the U.S. Southwest. A single mother badger with two dependent pups teams up with an old coyote to hunt for food. Working together they are able to secure enough food for themselves as well as the two young pups. But when one pup is taken for food by an eagle, the mother badger takes the remaining pup and moves on. Eventually, the drought ends. Many of the pictures feature cross sections into the desert floor. Root masses, rocks, and rodent warrens are visible in the manner of an 'Ant Farm' toy. Each picture features shards of broken pottery embedded underground. There are also the ancient and crumbling structures left behind by the Anasazi people over a thousand years ago. The animals have inherited it all.
The author provides an engaging and educational 'afterward' to the story describing his fascination with the Southwest, the Anasazi and the behavior of coyotes and badgers. When he says that he has actually observed a coyote and a badger interacting cooperatively, I was glad that he was inspired to write this beautiful book.