“Black-Cheek the falcon and Tiercel her mate were killers: the fastest, strongest and most fearless of all the Australian hawks. They were up before daylight hunting and they were still at it when the last rays of the setting sun heralded the darkness that brought safety, or at least breathing space, to potential victims.” –Thunderbolt the Falcon by C.K. Thompson, page 9
C.K Thompson wrote many beautiful books on animals. This is one of them. They aren’t just any books on animals, they teach the reader about the animal and the world around it, but in the form of a story.
“‘Now what?’ asked Joe. ‘Will the wasp settle down and have a feed underground?’ ‘No, she will not,’ said Grandfather. ‘I told you before that the adult wasp doesn’t eat cicadas. She stores them up for her young ones.’”–Thunderbolt the Falcon by C.K. Thompson, page 49
They are talking about the sand wasp which is basically a big beetle. Even though this book is about a peregrine falcon, it really is about the world around it, and how the Falcon impacts it. It talks about a whole range of animals from the sand wasp, to the Musk Duck. One thing is that the main character is a little bratty, but he becomes more respectful to an elderly man called Mr. Manering. Who will eventually teach Joe and his best friend David to become Falconers.
This book is wonderful and charming and you can buy it at Living Books Press. If you are curious about learning more, you can find it at Biblioguides, here. One last thing is that it may seem like the animals talk from the way I’m explaining it, but they don’t, and that is part of why I love this book so much.