Falcon

A boy reclining in a sunny field imagines what it would be like to be a falcon. Jessell’s majestic paintings alternate panoramic views with closeups of the falcon as he soars over surf and terrain, while other animals look on. “I would fly along the coastline and over the sea, darting above the waves and scattering seabirds before me.” Finally, the falcon takes an unexpected detour to “the man-made cliffs of a great booming city,” where he perches on a tall building, before diving straight down toward the street, skimming the heads of amazed New Yorkers (“I might just do that again”). An exhilarating portrayal of both a falcon’s and a child’s imaginative journey. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)