A true story of bonding with a hawk
346631
I enjoyed this book but felt concerned about the mental health of the author as she identified so strongly with her bird that she thought nothing of helping it hunt dismembering prey and carrying around bits of carcasses with her. It is an introspective account of gradual recovery from the trauma of her fathers sudden death and does leave the reader feeling more hopeful for the author!
3145327
This story is written and explained by a House Finch or as she says a linnet (a bird). The animals in the story are like one of us and live their life's much like we do. The story is wonderful and let's us begin to understand how the small creatures that live near us see their life. The story progresses smoothly but with numerous surprises. You will not want to cease reading and the enjoyment developed will surprise you.
3782704
Incident at Hawk's Hill is a exceptional book about a six-year-old boy living in the Mid West, during the late 1800's.  The boy runs away after he misunderstood his fathers anger.  Together the boy and a widow badger live  and learn to adapt with each other.  When he returns home his family  accepts the badger because she it what kept him alive.  I highly recommend  this book to someone that enjoys an adventure.
1947816
A butterfly fluttered above the flowers in the meadow, but there was something else in the grass.  Help, help!  Bear looked down and saw a tiny bird nestled in the grass.  It had taken a tumble from its nest in a nearby tree.  I am learning to fly, Bird explained to Bear, but I became dizzy and fell.  That would never do so Bird somehow managed to hop, hop, hop up Bears body and on to her shoulder.  Bear got bird back into the tree and began to meander across the field and into the woods.  No, that would not be the end of that because they soon became fast friends.

Every day they met in the meadow and foraged for berries.  Bird sat on Bears shoulders and together they had a feast at the blueberry bush.  Nom, nom, nom!  The berries were plentiful and the days were long.  At night Bird flew into the trees to sleep and Bear walked back into the woods.  The summer days soon began to fade and turn into fall.  Bird kept watch for the hunters and warned bear.  Every year things began to repeat themselves.  In the fall Bird flew south and Bear felt lonely without Bird.  One year when Bird returned, Bear was nowhere to be found.  Where had she disappeared to?

This is a beautifully heartwarming tale of of friendship and loss.  Bear and Bird have a marvelous friendship as they explore the the meadows and woods together each summer.  They miss each other when it's time for Bird to leave and when Bird returns its a joyous time.  The loss is when Bird comes back and Bear is nowhere to be found.  There is a nice twist at the end that helps ease Birds loneliness.  The artwork fills the pages with delightfully whimsical snapshots of a beautiful friendship as the two friends enjoy their lives together.  This tale about the cycle of life and death is one that can be used as a comforting read and discuss book if needed.  A beautiful tale that young and old alike will enjoy.

This book courtesy of the publisher.
2343877
This book stands with "Chicken Hawk" (Robert Mason) as one of the greatest to tell the story of the Vietnam chopper pilots and crews. As one who spent some time with boots on the red mud of that beautiful yet tragic country I felt as I was in the cockpit with Capt. Mills and his crew. Day after day their dedication, courage and fear took them into the face of death. The war that we could never win was lost from the start but the Outcasts and their brethren showed that the soldiers never surrendered their grit or honor in that hell.
3709995
Good story and gave some facts about rede-mailed hawks.  Was funny how made the hawks humankind.  I would recommend this book for my grandkids.
2755291
Beautifully written, this unique and somewhat obsessive approach to grief is full of astonishing information -- mostly about the ancient skills  of taming, training and flying a hawk in the year after her father's sudden death from a heart attack.  Set in the damp scruffy English countryside near Cambridge, MacDonald vividly describes the stages of her grief as she and her goshawk, Mabel, hunt, and kill small animals and birds.  Her year of mourning ends as she delivers Mabel to a a hawk center where the goshawk will molt and become an adult.  Is there a moral here for the author who is self described as partnerless and childless?
451508
The writing is excellent and the author transports you to many places, past and present and you feel all her emotions.  I was fascinated by the descriptions of hawk training and it's history.  The comparison with White's (author of Sword in the Stone) book Gos  and his training efforts with the author's was very clever.  I could have been happy with less detail of the kills and chicks in the freezer, but overall a very different and interesting read.
4097546
What an awesome experience this book was. I loved reading about her very unexpected dive into aviculture. It all started with one little bird and grew into a monster of happiness for the feathered bringing and the people who love them. The non profit she runs is important and shines a light on many issues facing our world today protecting species.
4061605
Being one of those chaps whose career in hunting birds was limited to a few poorly aimed and 'fowl-safe' shots at blue jays with a Red Ryder BB gun in boyhood, the camaraderie of the hunting sportsman is not  something familiar.  But discovering the reasons people become devoted to any kind of adventure on a regular basis is reason enough to pick up this little memoir book by Bill Baker. For one thing he writes well, for another he shares moments of success with moments of embarrassment with equal grace, and for yet another this little volume will open a window into the strange world of those committed to the obsession of hunting game.  As Baker so well puts it,  'For over sixty years I've been a bird hunter, upland and migratory.  I've chased geese from the Hudson Bay to Chihuahua, and ducks from the potholes of Saskatchewan to the shallow, saline marshes of Culiacan, Mexico.  Annual expeditions to the Dakotas after pheasants and periodic ramblings in west Texas after the elusive quail have been a constant in my life.  While I've ranged north to south for thirty-five hundred miles, my east-wet wanderings have been restricted to the five hundred miles between the 95th to 105th meridians west - a true Midwesterner.'

This 'diary' contains absorbing little stories of different adventures accompanied by photographs and drawings that make this a very personal read.  He knows his passion, knows how to write in a style that keeps the reader with him, and is unafraid to admit to his own foibles.  THE GUIDE SHOOTS FIRST is an entertaining read and it will likely change the minds of those people who look upon sport hunting as being a substitute for man's urge for warfare.  Grady Harp, September 10
4212329
This is a very well written book, reminiscent of the joys I had reading Dr. Seuss to my grandkids. Larry B has written a story that captures the essence of the Umbrella Cockatoo's, and the joys and trials of having companion parrots.
If it was a perfect world, no parrot would live in a cage, but since that is not the reality, reading how Stevie loves his toys, paper sacks, flockmates and his adopted "parront" family, one realizes that there can be joy in captivity.
Parrots are a lot of work and they are high eneregy creatures, but at the end of the day, when your parrot wants (some insist) to snuggle, it is a reward like no other.
There are many tips on parrot care and listings of several websites specifically devoted to parrot care and issues in the book. Our flock gave it "four toes up!"
4820133
Brave Eagle was a nineteen-year-old who was watching, listening, and learning as Big Ribs talked to his people.  Red Cloud was willing to talk about peace, but Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were leery and uncertain.  The white men will tell you that the land they have is not enough, Crazy Horse exclaimed, and that you must give them more, and they will make you touch the pen.  No, they were not to be trusted, but the camp on Powder River was alive with talk and they would go to Fort Laramie.

There would be piles of presents and everyone was excited, but no, there was something wrong. Red Cloud spoke, but his words fell on deaf ears.  Then it was time for the man from Washington to speak on behalf of the Great White Father, his president.  They were offering wagonloads of presents in exchange for a trail that led through their lands so they could travel to the gold-mining camps in the west.  Everyone was angry because they didn't want peace, they wanted everything the Lakota and Cheyenne had.  For what?  Trinkets!

Colonel Carrington of Fort Laramie claimed he wanted peace, but would shoot if his soldiers didn't have their way.  Brave Eagle knew that this had happened before with a trail.  Many came, then many more and they built their houses and had wanted more land to make fences around their spotted buffalo.  The land was forever changed, the animals driven away, and now they wanted to take the Indians best hunting grounds.  Brave Eagle watched, he listened, and he would follow the lead of the chiefs.

There was great anger among the tribes when the likes of Captain Brown claimed he would bring back Red Clouds scalp.  And then there was Captain Fetterman who claim he could and would whip the whole Sioux Nation with only eighty men.  Red Cloud uttered his final warning to the foolish white soldiers.  They had no idea what they were up against, but Brave Eagle did.  There were Indian warriors, the Lakota and the Cheyenne, who were listening and watching as intently as Brave Eagle.  Would they let the white man take their land once again or would they fight?

This is an amazing tale of the tale of the Fetterman Fight that will entrance young readers.  When I first picked up the book, I was fascinated by the artwork, which told a wordless tale throughout the pages.  It very much reminded me of the Bayeux Tapestry in Normandy, a tapestry that also tells a tale of war.  This tale, instead of being woven into a tapestry, is woven with Paul Gobles stunning digitally enhanced artwork.  The history of the the Bozeman Trail is brought to life through the fictional character, young Brave Eagle. In the back of the book is a brief overview of the history of the Bozeman Trail and and excellent reference of recommended resources to explore.

Ages 8 to 12.

This book courtesy of the publisher.
2529936
This is a story of a tragic, true-life experience that happened to a loving family and their beloved pets.  It is heartfelt and genuine.  It was written to help the family heal their hurt during a time of loss and shock.  It will inspire all animal lovers to be grateful for the beautiful interactions they have with their furry family members everyday and remind readers of the incredible amount of goodness there still is in this world everyday when members of a community are affected by tragedy.
1922826
Take an injured eagle, a wildlife rehab volunteer, a cancer diagnosis, and you have a moving story of mutual healing and the beauty of the human-animal connection. It is also a true story that takes place near where I live in northwestern Washington State.

In addition to the personal story, the reader is shown the highs and lows of volunteering at a wildlife rehab center. Some animals don't make it, and the ones that do are released back into the wild. This can be an emotional roller coaster for their caretakers. Some permanently disabled birds are used for public educational outreach. For me, the importance of this work for future generations was the take-away message of the book.

This book is a good companion to another one about the relationship between a bird and a human:&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Alex-Me-How-a-Scientist-and-a-Parrot-Discovered-a-Hidden-World-of-Animal-Intelligence-and-Formed-a-Deep-Bond-in-the-Process/dp/0061673986/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process</a>&nbsp;by Irene M. Pepperberg

I highly recommend both of these books.  You will never look at a bird the same way again.
920756
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ranger: The Little Horse with the Big Heart. This heart-warming story is made all the more touching by the fact Ranger was a real horse who embodied the very best that animals can share with us humans. Christie's description of Ranger's behavior and personality traits made me wish I'd had the pleasure of meeting him. The examples of their adventures together, like riding in the surf, trail rides, hunting trips, and cow penning contests, all demonstrated Ranger's adaptability to new experiences. His calm and steady personality also made him an invaluable addition to the horse ranch. Ranger became the lead horse to model for foals how to swim in the river and accept other "firsts". Under his owner's love, guidance, and training, the little horse who nearly didn't survive his first few days, went on to live a long full life that blessed many people, including the disabled. He was innately sensitive to his riders and could be entrusted to carry those with limited riding skills. The author and Ranger shared over thirty of his 32 years together. We all experience the loss of loved ones, people and animals. The poignant ending offers the promise that these precious relationships will someday transcend this earthly plane. This isn't just a tribute to a remarkable horse, it's the spiritual journey of his devoted companion. Very uplifting!
4328115
At first, I assumed this book was written by a sentimental author suffering from guilt about her recently deceased father.  My assumption has never been more incorrect.  The author of the book is a highly educated graduate of a distinguished, prestigious English University, as well as the daughter of a highly knowledgeable hawk father.  I found her descriptions of her father highly admirable, up to and including, her descriptions of the way he dressed.

Her descriptions of the effect of T. H. White, an earlier public school teacher, who was liberated by his book writing, especially about training a goshawk to hunt, were most interesting.  Her descriptions of her own infinitely painstaking efforts to train her own goshawk were heart wrenching.
Her knowledge and descriptions of hawks and their habits, leaves me with the opinion that I would eagerly purchase any new book relating to hawks and her observations or other experiences with them.
232483
I like this story a lot. It pulled me in from the first sentence and kept me reading as I followed the story of this family and their relationship with the swans that have become so important to them. Yet the swans were also hunted for their feathers, even though that was illegal. When the oldest swan's mate,named Sir swan by Grandma Glenda doesn't return one summer, his mate Bustle begins to decline. When she dies, her pelt is taken to a close family friend who sews a swan bonnet for Dawn's mother. When she wears it, oh does it ever cause a stir in the village. It's a time of change in the village and in Alaska as laws are made, towns and cities grow, and motorcars begin to appear. But for this particular family, it is a special time. This is a novel I will come back to again. Highly recommended for YA readers and their families.