Falcon

Picture book
A discovery back in 1986 of a statue, The Falconer, in Central
Park inspired Tim Jessup to take up falconry. Since then he has
gained an intimate knowledge of an amazing raptor. Fortunately he has
seen fit to share this with us in his Falcon, a picture book to savor.
A little boy lies in the grass. Thinking "If I were a
falcon..." he slips into a daydream where he soars over mountains and
seacoasts, ending up amazing people (and scaring pigeons) in the man
made steel and glass landscape of a big city. Breathtaking paintings
are paired up with poetic text. A lighthouse's yellow beam stands out
against a seascape in shades of blue. The weary falcon blends in.
The words are, "If my wings grew tired, I would find shelter among the
rocks and fall asleep to the sound of the crashing surf."
Daydreaming was frowned on when I was young. When my kids were
little it was only available to kids whose parents couldn't afford to
overschedule them. These days...with all the electronic
alternatives...is it possible? God, I hope so. Far from a waste of
time, daydreaming aids children's creativity, enables them to play
with solutions to problems and think outside the box, promotes the joy
of creation and discovery, and makes it possible, in the face of
conflict, for them to walk in the other person's shoes. All that is
bright and beautiful in humanity is nurtured in daydreams. A book
that promotes this noble passtime...
priceless.
On a personal note, I am still a daydreamer extraordinaire. Even my
BFF Rose who must nag me to do prosaic stuff like housecleaning
realized that without flights of fantasy and fancy I could not survive
or be me.
A great big shout out goes out to my fellow daydreamers. Bon voyage
to wherever your imagination may take you! :-)
Julia Emily Hathaway


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