1. Art techniques
2. Birds
3. Book design
4. Family
5. Home
6. Nature
7. Nonfiction
8. Parents
9. Perspectives
10. Resilience
11. Responsibility
12. Survival

‘Peregrines in the City’ offers a day by day informative and highly appealing insight into the birth, growth and life of the Peregrine Falcon. These remarkable birds can fly more than 320 kilometres an hour, making them the fastest animal on earth. They are also adaptable birds, making their nests in unusual places, such high-rise buildings in cities as in this book. Each step involved in nesting and parenting draws readers into these birds’ lives in the city of Melbourne perched high on a window ledge.

The artwork reflects the day-by-day life of the Peregrines. The details of feathers, talons, beaks and plumage are fascinating. The text notably uses correct terminology, and informative illustrations give the viewer a sense of ‘being there.’ The artworks’ various perspectives produce a sense of ‘being there.’ The Peregrine’s flights carrying carcases for the growing chicks nestled high on the building ledge are remarkably realistic. As the soaring tiercel ‘banks and climbs,’ so too does the viewer. The factual details at the back of the book are inspirational, especially the story of Dr Victor Hurley of Birdlife Australia and the Victorian Peregrine Project. They built nesting boxes for the Peregrine Falcons. Since 2017 these birds have raised their chicks high above the ground at 367 Collins Street in Melbourne.

The colour of the font changes which prods the reader to slow down and reflect on the events. For example, ‘It is time,’ appears in dark purple when the female lays her eggs. Subsequent lines in various shades of colours encourage readers to consider minute details of laying and incubating the eggs. During incubation, the background colour is a light purple with boxes revealing the incubation, then the dramatic text: ‘A sound. A crack. An egg pips.’ The following page evokes wonder as a tiny eyas hatches followed by an enlarged scene with all three eyas have hatched. An unhatched egg is nudged to the back of the nest by the falcon. Subsequent scenes show the feeding frenzy as baby chicks lunge for the food brought by the parent. Terminology throughout is specific but easily understood in context.

The main story is this. Viewers witness the chicks growing, their fluffy white feathers morphing into the colours of their parents’ feathers. We see and listen as the chicks are encouraged to fly and feed themselves. The text is breathtaking: ‘The smaller chick hunches, every muscle tense. He launches in his first flight.’ The final satisfying line is a fitting conclusion: ‘All that remains on the ledge is a patch of gravel, strewn with feathers, pellets and poo. And an abandoned egg.’ Readers have thus experienced this miraculous life cycle gaining a deep appreciation of the Peregrine Falcon.

‘Peregrines in the City’ was Highly Commended in the Australian Educational Publishing Awards 2023.

1. Wild Dog Teacher Notes for ‘Peregrines in the City’ includes extensive hyperlinks to factual material and moving images http://wdog.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Peregrines_TN_24-05-version-compressed-for-website.pdf
2. ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Melbourne 1 Nov 2022 presenter Jacinta Parsons interviews author Andrew Kelly about his book ‘Peregrine Falcon’ in ’Melbourne’s falcons have their own picture book’ https://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/programs/afternoons/yarra-riverkeeper-peregrin-falcon-book/101602860
3. Guardian Australia ‘Melbourne’s livestreamed Peregrine Falcon chicks take flight.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oZz8nxQR10
4. ReadPlus 15 Aug 2022 review by Fran Knight of ‘Peregrine Falcon’ https://www.readplus.com.au/reviews/peregrines-in-the-city
5. The Bottom Shelf 24 Sept 2022 review by Barbara Braxton of ‘Peregrine Falcon’ https://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/2022/09/24/peregrines-in-the-city/
6. Reading Time 1 Nov 2022 review by Mem Capp of ‘Peregrine Falcon’ https://readingtime.com.au/peregrines-in-the-city/
7. Australian Museum 29 Mar 2019 ‘Peregrine Falcon’ https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/peregrine-falcon/