Book cover illustrations and design by MadliArt.
Trilogy written by P. K. Butler
Published by Pinchey House Press
April 2021
Book 1
"An Odd Bird"
"Hawk or hummingbird, birds find Claire Belle irresistible. In fact, they seek her out as if summoned. The question is why? The eleven-year-old searches for answers with the help of two new friends: Victor, a Native American boy who rides her school bus, and Jerry, an old man who roams the forest. Through their friendship, Claire awakens to an almost mythical hawk with whom she must communicate to learn the secret of her destiny as a champion for birds." - P. K. Butler
Book 2
"The Hawk's Message"
"Twelve-year-old Claire possesses an inexplicable ability to summon birds, a gift that attracts the interests of unusual companions. A wizardly old man and a mystical hawk try to teach Claire how to enter the Now, a non-place where beings connect through consciousness. Only from there can the red-tailed hawk deliver an urgent message: Birds will vanish from the Earth without her help. But to become their champion, she must first conquer all self-doubt. Claire attempts to do so in what becomes a dangerous expedition to Arkansas to find the ivory-billed woodpecker. If successful, she'll ensure that the woodpecker's habitat, always under threat, will be protected. She joins a small expedition led by a famous ornithologist whose approval of her becomes more important than the woodpecker itself. And in surrendering to self-doubt, Claire opens herself to both disappointment and danger." - P. K. Butler
Book 3
"The Shining Swan"
"In Ireland, where her great-grandmother owns a castle, Claire learns that she is the descendant of a magical race that once ruled ancient Éire. And like her ancestor Gealala, a 13th-century ruler known as the Shining Swan, Claire possesses an ability to summon birds. In fact, four raptors come unbidden to assist her in fulfilling a hereditary destiny to protect endangered waders. Irish curlews, nearly extinct, have chosen to nest on the shores of Lough Gur, the Enchanted Lake. To save their threatened habitat, Claire relies on a host of friends, including a neighbor's eight-year-old foster child and expert fairy hunter. Together they decipher long-hidden clues to revive the mystical power of a mythical past." - P. K. Butler
Initial concept sketches:
