The Hawk of the Castle: A Story of Medieval Falconry By Danna Smith

Gentle verse and sweeping, majestic artwork set imaginations soaring in a handsome and illuminating ode to the ancient art of falconry.
Join a young girl and her father, the falconer at a medieval castle, as they experience the joys of taking a goshawk out for a training flight. The girl leads readers through all the preparations and equipment needed for the flight from the hawk s hood and bells to the falconer s gloves culminating in a dramatic demonstration of the hawk s hunting skill. Bagram Ibatoulline s masterful illustrations capture the vivid details and beauty of a day spent hawking, while Danna Smith s poetic storytelling will make readers long to experience the art and sport of falconry firsthand. The Hawk of the Castle: A Story of Medieval Falconry

Danna Smith ✓ 2 Summary

I thought this was a really neat book! I think the rhyming style / 4-verse per layout made the book perfect for the younger and older kids. I read this to my kindergartener son and my fifth grade son. The author also adds more factual information for your older students in a little corner of the book. And the illustrations are GORGEOUS and just pull you in!!

First of all, I never knew falconry existed, and I love learning interesting facts like this along side my children. With that being said, I found this fascinating! We aren’t even studying medieval history this year — but it would be perfect for that. But really, this book is great any time! You get to sneak in learning with this interesting and fun book! I also enjoyed reading the authors note in the back of the book! English I read this book with my 7 and 10 year old for school. I never knew that falconry was a thing, so the book itself was interesting to me. The book had lovely illustrations that helped tell the story of one part of medieval castle life, that of falconry. It follows one day in the life of medieval falconry. English Enjoyable verse to read aloud. All ages of my kids enjoyed it. Informative about the sport of Falconry. Beautiful illustrations. English With poetic language and stunning illustrations, this fascinating picture book makes you feel as if you right inside a medieval castel and following alongside young girl and her falconer father - preparing, training, and hunting. Fascinating backmatter from the author tells of her own experience as a falconer's daughter. ⁠ English Breathtaking images and beautiful text written poetically enhancing the majestic experience of falconry. Historic depictions are accurate and specific information is provided on every page. A gorgeous book to explore the mysterious medieval period.

Especially interesting after just having watched The Eagle Huntress. English

While the presented poetry of Danna Smith's The Hawk of the Castle is lyrical and indeed, almost song-like, melodiously lovely to read and savour (with the additional prose information on each page an added and very much enlightening, appreciated intellectual informational bonus), I for one have not really been able to enjoy my reading experience of The Hawk of the Castle all that much, simply because there is not ANY even remote criticism of falconry as a sport featured (for let's face it, falconry basically uses birds for hunting, but unlike with most domestic dogs, these falcons and hawks are NOT ever really free of their constraints, but are constantly tethered or chained and thus, they are of course always basically at the beck and call of their human owners, and not able to escape or in any way hide themselves either).

And although I have actually and in fact very much enjoyed reading and learning about mediaeval falconry as a subject, as an entity, as a part of the historical culture of the Middle Ages, I guess that I did kind of expect to have seen at least some even minor critical musings by Danna Smith with regard to the sport of falconry, if not within the pages of The Hawk of the Castle, if not within the verses of the little girl's description of her father and her taking the castle's goshawk out for a flight and a hunt, then at least within the additional prose descriptions on each page, on each spread (however, that has absolutely and in fact not occurred, and while I can, after reading the author's note and realising that Danna Smith's father was in fact a falconer sort of understand that she would of course likely be supportive of falconry, I for one and personally find the entire concept of the latter at best more than a bit problematic, and especially that it is still seemingly practiced by many and seen as a positive and bird-friendly sport).

And therefore, while I have most definitely appreciated the knowledge obtained on an intellectual and academic level (and that Danna Smith has also included a list of books for further reading and study) and do find Bagram Ibatoulline's accompanying illustrations (and as usual) gloriously lush, descriptive and minutely detailed (but without ever feeling visually overwrought and too busy), I can and will only consider a high two star star ranking for The Hawk of the Castle, as I out of principle, do not agree with falconry in and of itself and really had thus both wanted and expected at least some form of condemnation thereof. English If you need a great rhyming story about life in a medieval castle, this book is a treasure! The illustrations are fabulously breathtaking and detailed and framed in in an appropriately patterned border. The fact boxes on many pages give more detailed information about the information in the rhyme on that page. This book pulls off a feeling of being regal, which fits the time of castles and kings well, I think. This is a picture book that could be enjoyed by many ages of children, but the afterword and the further information appears geared toward upper elementary students. Since Castles and Knights and even Dragons have been themes for March is Reading Month and Summer Reading in my years as an elementary librarian, I know my students will welcome this book to our collection! I am not sure I would put this in the first purchase category, but if you have a need or an audience for a beautiful rhyming picture book set in Medieval Times, check this one out. English Wowwwwwww. I checked this out because I was looking for books to use for a homeschool program at work. The art is beautiful - stellar, even. The main text tells of the daily tasks of a medieval falconer and his daughter, and then there is much more detailed information inset into panels on each page. Also, The author's father was a falconer, so she knew this trade firsthand.

Just a lovely, lovely book. English With a lovely lyrical narrative and gorgeously detailed illustrations created using acrylic gouache, this is an entertaining and informative book about the ancient art of falconry.

Those who are opposed to hunting may want to pass this one by, but having held a hunting falcon on my arm and later watched his aerial prowess, I am in awe of these majestic raptors.

The scenes appear to be from a European castle in the Middle Ages, but as the author explains in her note at the end of the book, falconry has been popular around the world for centuries.

I love that the short, rhyming narrative can be read separately for younger children and the blocks of additional information on each page will appeal to those who are older.

I also enjoyed the biographical and historical information given in the author's note, along with the additional resources for further study and the index.

Overall, it is a well-written and engaging book and I really enjoyed reading it. English A look at European medieval falconry through a rhyming text relayed by the falconer's daughter. Information boxes and Bagram Ibatoulline's gorgeous illustrations. Great picture book companion for children in your life if you were taken (as I was) by H is for Hawk. Children's picture book - all ages. English