Urban Coyotes

Gr 3-8–A nonfiction account of the scientists studying how coyotes move, eat, and reproduce in urban environments. The book opens as a scientist tracks a previously collared coyote to a tree hollow to check on her. The following chapter follows the drama of caging, sedating, and processing a wild coyote, with striking photographs to accompany the description. Chapter five is particularly engaging, following researchers on their grueling search for a litter of coyote pups that they eventually find in a tree hollow; photos include scenes in which they are assessed and microchipped. Lots of interesting context is given about the history of coyotes in the urban United States and their life cycles and traits. The author sometimes uses a cheeky, editorial writing style that might go over the heads of the target audience (e.g., “Ah, the 1990s. The Soviet Union broke up, grunge music went big, and the internet appeared. Coyotes, too, had a big end-of-the-century decade”). The wildlife researchers photographed include men and women; all read as white. Back matter includes a glossary, sources, and a thorough index.