Nature artist Gordon Morrison has created a brilliantly illustrated and informative portrait of the American bald eagle. The main story is told with full-color pictures, taking the reader through the eagle's life cycle - the chicks hatch; are protected and fed by their parents; go through various plumage phases; learn to fly, fish, and hunt; and eventually leave the nest to begin their own families. On each spread, paralleling this main presentation, is a more in-depth and detailed look at the eagles' anatomy, behavior, and habitat. Readers of all ages are sure to gain a new understanding and respect for this majestic and powerful bird. Kindergarten-Grade 5ALarge watercolor and black-ink drawings illustrate the life cycle of the American bald eagle. The dramatic but straightforward text begins with the first of two eagle eggs hatching and follows the development of both nestlings until they are able to feed themselves, fly, and undertake winter migration. Come late winter or early spring, the parent eagles mate again, and as the book closes, they are set to witness the first of their new brood hatching. This alone would make a successful ornithological study for young readers. Morrison adds yet another layer: many of the book's pages also contain highly detailed anatomical drawings in pencil and more advanced explanations that enlarge the range of information for older readers. They add details on subjects such as how eagles fly, the color phases that the birds pass through during their five-year journey to maturity, the animals on which eagles prey, and how they catch fish. Adults reading to primary-aged children can easily skip over the more sophisticated material. Although there is no shortage of fine books that explore the life history of bald eagles, this one is unique in its usefulness and attractiveness.AEllen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. This handy natural-history resource book includes everything readers need to know about eagles and more. Through two levels of texta narrative and an abundance of extremely detailed asidesMorrison presents the lifecycle of the bald eagle and the particulars of their habits and habitats. The primary text, accompanied by realistic watercolors, begins and ends with the hatching of an eaglet, and in clear, flowing language chronicles all stages of development. Detailed pencil drawings and diagrams supplement the secondary text, which offers more specific information about the eagles, such as their anatomy, prey, and flight techniques, in equally simple, lucid language. Morrison keeps it short and uncomplicated, but includes plenty of information by making good use of the page, keeping the watercolors at the fore, and the pencil drawings to the sides and bottoms of pages. Neither cursory nor overwhelming, this useful tool bespeaks the quiet passion of its creator, and passes it along to budding ornithologists. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-9) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. "This handy natural-history resource book includes everything readers need to know about eagles and more." Kirkus Reviews Although there is no shortage of fine books that explore the life history of bald eagles, this one is unique in its usefulness and attractiveness. School Library Journal Gordon Morrison is a well-known naturalist whose work has been praised by Roger Tory Peterson as "Marvelous, beautiful, excellent . . . Morrison’s work is so inspiring that I wish such clear material was available when I was slowly learning ecology. . . . We owe a debt of gratitude to Gordon for his interpretive skills as an artist. He is a superb teacher who uses visual methods." Robert Bateman likened his work to that of Albrecht Durer and Andrew Wyeth. Gordon Morrison makes his home in Massachusetts.