Even as the national bird of the United States, the bald eagle has not always been universally beloved. Hunting, poisoning by DDT, and other human activity reduced bald eagle numbers from many thousands to fewer than 1,000 by the 1960s. Young readers are introduced to this incredible bird and the story of its recovery after it reached the brink of extinction. They will learn what actions were undertaken to protect the species and how its disappearance impacted its ecosystem. Boxed questions instill conservation principles at an early age and encourage readers to be thoughtful about their effects on the planet.