BEAUTY AND THE BEAK

An Alaskan eagle’s broken beak is restored with modern technology.

In a straightforward, relatively simple text extensively illustrated with photographs, writer Rose and raptor biologist Veltkamp imagine the eagle’s early life and then chronicle her experience in human hands. After her beak was partially shot off and she couldn’t eat or drink properly, the fully grown eagle could no longer survive in the wild. In her first rescue center, her wounds were treated and she was given a name, Beauty. Transferred to biologist Veltkamp’s raptor center in Idaho, she came to the attention of an engineer who designed and printed a 3-D prosthetic to replace the missing part of her upper beak. After a dentist installed it, she could drink on her own and use her beak to preen her feathers as eagles do. Solid information about bald eagles in the wild is woven into the story, and lengthy backmatter describes eagle physical characteristics and protection efforts. Beauty’s beak is now regenerating and she no longer uses that prosthetic, but, an author’s note tells readers, other animals and humans do use similar replacement parts. Resources include web connections and QR codes to be used with a Cornell Lab of Ornithology app.

Offer this heartwarming example of animal rehabilitation to fans of Winter’s Tail, by Juliana, Isabella, and Craig Hatkoff (2009), and similar stories.