Caesar's Antlers - Hardcover

Brooks Hansen lives in New York City. The Chess Garden, his second novel for adults, was a Publishers Weekly Book of the Year in 1995. Caesar's Antlers is his first work for children.

Grade 5-8. A masterful look at friendship, love, and loyalty in the frozen wilds of Norway. At the end of summer, Caesar and the other reindeer return from grazing to find their human herders and head for their winter home. He is surprised when he is hitched to a riderless sled full of mysterious packages and given the scent of two missing brothers. Nearby Piorello and Bette, two sparrows, fall in love and hatch two babies. Piorello leaves the nest for food and is injured. He is rescued by a girl who is visiting her grandmother. Reluctantly, she leaves for school in England, taking the injured bird with her. Meanwhile, Bette, frantic with worry, sets off to hunt for her mate, lodging her nest and babies on the antler of the willing Caesar. Hansen quietly spins the tale of the desperate searches of these animals: Piorello, who tries to find a way back to Norway; Caesar, who faithfully plods toward his human friends; and Bette, torn by worry and the need to protect her children, and yet reassured by Caesar's gentle friendship. Simply written, yet full of wonder and magic, the story builds to a satisfying, if tragic conclusion. The author creates his animal characters with care, puts them in believable situations, and hints at the mysteries of life and death that overlay the natural world. His spare ink drawings add to the quiet mood of this read-aloud, which captures the winter's chill and the warmth of a loving heart.?Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library
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