Idaho book featured at National Book Festival
(Courtesy photo) The cover of “Beauty and the Beak”, which tells the story of a bald eagle that was illegally shot, rescued, and received a pioneering, 3D-printed prosthetic beak. With human care and engineering innovation, the bird, named Beauty, not only survived but is thriving.
The award-winning, nonfiction book “Beauty and the Beak” was Idaho’s offering at the recent 2019 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
The book was featured at Idaho’s table in the NBF’s Parade of States and sold at the NBF’s book store. “Beauty and the Beak” coauthor Deborah Lee Rose was at the festival to share this inspiring, true story.
The book tells the full story about the bald eagle that was illegally shot, rescued, and received a pioneering, 3D-printed prosthetic beak. With human care and engineering innovation, the bird, named Beauty, not only survived but is thriving. Beauty has become an inspiration to young readers worldwide, and to people of all ages who have or are in need of a prosthetic limb. “Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3D-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald Eagle” won the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books and the Bank Street College Cook Prize for Best STEM Picture Book.
Idaho raptor biologist Janie Veltkamp led the team — which included an engineer, dentist, and veterinarian — who engineered Beauty’s new beak. Veltkamp brought Beauty from Alaska to Idaho to find a way to replace her shattered beak. Coauthor of “Beauty and the Beak,” Veltkamp founded Birds of Prey Northwest near Coeur d’Alene in 1993. She has lifetime care of Beauty there under permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Birds of Prey Northwest’s mission is to provide medical treatment to injured, sick, and/or orphaned wild raptors, with the goal of returning them to the wild. Veltkamp also presents live raptor programs throughout Idaho, supported by Idaho STEM Action Center, and in nearby states by special arrangement.
“Beauty and Janie’s story made world news from Idaho. “Beauty and the Beak” shows what amazing things science and engineering, coupled with human ingenuity and compassion, can accomplish,” Rose said. “I’m looking forward to sharing this incredible story with both children and adults at the National Book Festival.” The book is published by Persnickety Press/WunderMill Books.
For more about Janie Veltkamp, Beauty the bald eagle, and the STL file to 3D print a beak replica, go online to birdsofpreynorthwest.org. For more about Deborah Lee Rose, go online to deborahleerose.com.