Grade 2-4?A straightforward account of the first brood of peregrine falcon chicks to hatch in the wild in the eastern U.S. in 30 years?on a ledge of a Baltimore skyscraper. General facts about falcon behavior and habitat; explanations of how the peregrine population was affected by DDT; and scientists' efforts to save the species provide the background for the story of one bird. Scarlett had been raised at a special research facility, banded, and released into the wild. She landed on a skyscraper, waited five years for a mate, and raised her brood of four. Lloyd's excellent watercolor illustrations capture the variety of falcon positions from nesting to flight, and the artist's perspective of the cityscape as viewed from Scarlett's eyrie 33 stories above enhance the text. Additional information about five species of falcons and a list of places to observe them round out the presentation. A good introduction to birds of prey and how wildlife is dependent on the environment.?Diane Nunn, Richard E. Byrd Elementary School, Glen Rock, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Ages 5^-8. The story of the peregrine falcon's survival is told in this picture book from the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. Beginning with general information about the falcon's habits and its near extinction due to DDT, Jenkins describes scientists' efforts to preserve the species and reintroduce it into the wild. A high ledge on a Baltimore skyscraper provided shelter for Scarlett, the first of the peregrines raised in captivity to adapt to "the wild" and hatch her eggs, reestablishing the species in the eastern U.S. This appealing look at Scarlett, her trials, and her perseverance makes an involving tale that personalizes wildlife conservation without triviality or sensationalism. The last pages introduce five American falcons and a half-dozen places to contact for information about local falcon watches. Throughout the book, ink drawings with subtle watercolor washes offer panoramic views of countrysides and cityscapes as well as close-ups of Scarlett, her mate, and their brood. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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