Schulman, J. (2008). Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City. [New York]: Knopf.

Exposition:

A red tailed hawk made its way to New York’s Central Park, and eventually a female hawk joined him there.

Conflict:

The hawks had trouble building a nest in trees, and when they built a nest on a building, the people who lived there removed it.

Rising Action:

The hawks came back the next year, hatched three young hawks, and became a popular site for bird watchers and other locals. For years, the hawks continued to live and breed in the nest.

Climax:

The building residents found a way to legally remove the nest, which drew massive protests.

Falling Action:

The nesting area was rebuilt, and Pale Male and his mate continued to raise hawks there for many years.

Resolution:

Several other hawk families have been spotted around Central Park, and many believe they may be the offspring of Pale Male.

Illustrations:

The beautiful water color illustrations from Meilo So add details to the story and setting. The pictures also add to the gentle mood of the story, as well as add a frustrating tone to the conflict. These illustrations help show the unusual beauty in the story of Pale Male.