Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 11/01/2016 Gr 1–3—This true account centers on two peregrine falcons—humorously named Steve and Linda Perry—who choose a balcony flower box on the 28th floor of a Chicago high-rise as their nest site. Readers follow along as Linda and Steve court, lay four eggs, and eventually care for and raise their chicks until it's time for the offspring to leave the nest. The stunning close-up photographs have remarkable clarity and enhance the already engaging tale. No detail is left out; readers will even see pictures of local birds, such as rock pigeons and chimney swifts, being offered to the growing chicks as food. The narrative alternates between the story of this bird family and relevant facts about peregrine falcons and other, nonpredatory birds. Give to fans of Meghan McCarthy's City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male and Janet Schulman's Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City. VERDICT An informative, engaging, and worthy addition to elementary collections, especially for bird enthusiasts.—Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2017 Peregrine falcons, swift cliff-dwelling raptors, are a true conservation success story, as their numbers recover from a period of serious endangerment. Here is the story of two domiciles—one human, one avian—that coexist in a high-rise apartment building. Chicagoan Dacey Arashiba shared a window ledge with a falcon pair—whom he dubbed Steve and Linda Perry—and, eventually, their offspring: Katie, Joe, Luke, and Refrigerator. By observing the bird family from right out his window, Arashiba not only learned more about their nesting habits, their brood, and their prey, but also grew to appreciate the work that goes into researching their behaviors. Because of the birds’ noise and mess, not every human neighbor was as welcoming as Arashiba, and the birds’ presence tested the limits of the Endangered Species Act. Photographs amazingly capture peregrines in action (soaring, gliding, or in a “stoop”: tucking the wings and plummeting to earth at 200 miles per hour to catch prey). More than a dynamic story about birds, this is a study of ecological coexistence. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.