Just the other day, my husband came in to warn me that a coyote was walking around in the field behind our house. Normally, I wouldn't be alarmed, but with a dog who likes to run around the yard, there is cause for concern. I am now constantly looking out to see where that coyote might be. It also reminds me of a beautifully written and illustrated Virginia Readers' Choice book by a Virginia author. Understanding coyotes can make them less scary for all of us. Coyote Moon by Maria Gianferrari does just that in a beautifully told story of a coyote on the hunt.

Coyotes need to get food to live, and the hunt is part of survival. The poetic story in Coyote Moon helps us all understand more about what happens. Gianferrari follows the coyote mother as she goes out into the neighborhood looking for food for her pups. All through the night she tries to catch her prey, though unsuccessful. Finally, at daybreak, she successfully catches her prey to feed her young pups. As a young child looks out the window at the happy mother, she realizes we are all part of a world together and must respect each other.

The stunning illustrations and poetic words in the book make it perfect for a read aloud. Gianferrari uses so many types of figurative language to help tell the story of the mother coyote on her hunt for food. She describes the mother coyote as "she slips through the night as quiet as a ghost, searching for prey." This allows students to gain a better understanding of how the author's use of figurative language can make a book become real and alive. And how about using this with a science unit on predator and prey? Learning about the coyote as she searches for her food makes it real and more exciting than a typical textbook. The end of the book includes facts about coyotes that will help the reader better understand this unique species.

There are so many uses for Coyote Moon, and you don't want to let this beautiful book pass you by! What other ways could you use this book in your classroom?
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