Flying Eagle by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray

In rhyming couplets, the story of an eagle hunting in the Serengeti National Park is told.  He has been hunting all day for food to feed his chick back in the nest but has had no luck.  Now it is sunset and different animals come out in the emerging darkness.  Readers will see hippos, rhinos, gnu, crocodiles, and even a human with a gun!  How can the exhausted eagle father find food with all of the dangers he faces?

The poetry is grippingly brief, making this a great book to share with young children looking for an African adventure filled with animals and danger.  Ray’s illustrations are deeply colored, evocative of the African world, and depict the tension of the book perfectly.

Recommended for both African and poetry units, this book is a tense tale told with vibrancy and depth.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.