Search results for ""author bird"

Oh no! The Rainbow King has caught a magical cold! Every time the Rainbow King sneezes, the colors become all mixed up. Only the feather from a rare bird can heal him. True and Bartleby spring into action to help the King! Can True and Bartleby help the King feel better by finding that feather? Based on the top-rated animated series. Colorful illustrations that pop off the page to keep little ones engaged; A feel good story about friendship and compassion; With two-way sequins! About True and the Rainbow Kingdom: True is a fearless eight-year-old who helps the whimsical citizens of the Rainbow Kingdom alongside her best friend, Bartleby the Cat. When something goes awry in the Kingdom, True is the only one with the ability to wake the powers of the Magical Wishes of the Wishing Tree. True keeps the citizens safe and empowers those around her with imagination, empathy, and mindfulness. The books are drawn from the animated series produced by Guru Studio, based on a concept by famed artist collective FriendsWithYou, in collaboration with Home Plate Entertainment and Pharrell Williams’ multimedia creative collective I am OTHER.

Read more less

A richly illustrated, captivating study of army ants, nature’s preeminent social hunters.A swarm raid is one of nature’s great spectacles. In tropical rainforests around the world, army ants march in groups by the thousands to overwhelm large solitary invertebrates, along with nests of termites, wasps, and other ants. They kill and dismember their prey and carry it back to their nest, where their hungry brood devours it. They are the ultimate social hunters, demonstrating the most fascinating collective behavior.In Army Ants we see how these insects play a crucial role in promoting and sustaining the biodiversity of tropical ecosystems. The ants help keep prey communities in check while also providing nutrition for other animals. Many species depend on army ants for survival, including a multitude of social parasites, swarm-following birds, and flies. And while their hunting behavior, and the rules that govern it, are clearly impressive, army ants display collective behavior in other ways that are no less dazzling. They build living nests, called bivouacs, using their bodies to protect the queen and larvae. The ants can even construct bridges over open space or obstacles by linking to one another using their feet. These incredible feats happen without central coordination. They are the result of local interactions—self-organization that benefits the society at large.Through observations, stories, and stunning images, Daniel Kronauer brings these fascinating creatures to life. Army ants may be small, but their collective intelligence and impact on their environment are anything but.

Read more less

For generations, the deserts of southern Africa have intrigued scientists and travellers alike. Seemingly barren wastes, they in fact teem with life – from ants to elephants, stone plants to the curious welwitschia, dainty dik-diks to towering gemsbok, and cart-wheeling spiders to fog-basking beetles. How do they cope with scarce resources, unpredictable rainfall and extreme temperatures? How do they protect themselves against predators? And what is the impact of climate change on these life forms and their habitats? Drawing on an earlier edition, published in 1993, biologist Barry Lovegrove answers these questions and unravels many of the mysteries associated with life in the desert. He describes the four arid biomes of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana – Desert, Arid Savanna, Succulent Karoo and Nama-Karoo – and explains how and why such a great diversity of plants, insects, mammals, reptiles and birds successfully exist in these regions. The text is supported by the most recent research, spectacular photographs, and explanatory diagrams and maps. The Living Deserts of Southern Africa is a compelling, in-depth read that is accessible to both the serious student and academic as well as the interested nature lover. Sales points: A fully revised and updated edition of a classic text (1993) on southern Africa’s desert zones; highly readable, entertaining and informative that draws on the latest scientific research; covers the desert regions of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana; stunning full-colour photographs support the text.

Read more less

Pollination and Floral Ecology is the most comprehensive single-volume reference to all aspects of pollination biology--and the first fully up-to-date resource of its kind to appear in decades. This beautifully illustrated book describes how flowers use colors, shapes, and scents to advertise themselves; how they offer pollen and nectar as rewards; and how they share complex interactions with beetles, birds, bats, bees, and other creatures. The ecology of these interactions is covered in depth, including the timing and patterning of flowering, competition among flowering plants to attract certain visitors and deter others, and the many ways plants and animals can cheat each other. Pollination and Floral Ecology pays special attention to the prevalence of specialization and generalization in animal-flower interactions, and examines how a lack of distinction between casual visitors and true pollinators can produce misleading conclusions about flower evolution and animal-flower mutualism. This one-of-a-kind reference also gives insights into the vital pollination services that animals provide to crops and native flora, and sets these issues in the context of today's global pollination crisis. * Provides the most up-to-date resource on pollination and floral ecology * Describes flower advertising features and rewards, foraging and learning by flower-visiting animals, behaviors of generalist and specialist pollinators--and more * Examines the ecology and evolution of animal-flower interactions, from the molecular to macroevolutionary scale * Features hundreds of color and black-and-white illustrations

Read more less

Myrtle is not one of those communities with a town historian or a roster of famous residents. Myrtle does, however, have a poultry plant, and looming above the plant are the eagles, massive birds that roost in trees and feast on entrails left by workers, creatures synonymous with power, freedom and might. The story starts with a newspaper photo taken in an obscure Nova Scotia town after the murder of eight bald eagles. The bizarre photo wins a contest and, over time, the unidentified girl in the foreground becomes, like Diane Arbus's Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, infamous. Rita Van Loon decides, after seven painful years, to explain herself and the events surrounding the murders. The Most Heartless Town in Canada looks at media agendas, amateur sport, family dynamics, and the divide between rural and urban Canada. Selected Praise: "... McCluskey's cast of characters 'and it is quite large' is anything but ordinary, especially when it comes to Pammy Pottie, Rita's well-meaning but luckless swim coach, and her motley crew of swimmers. Myrtle is full of oddballs, which is lucky for us, because that, more than anything else, is what gives this novel its quirky charm." (Quill and Quire) "The Most Heartless Town in Canada is explicitly about bearing false witness to a place and what that does to the people there. (It?s also extremely funny.) ..." (The Globe and Mail) "McCluskey's complex small town terrific" (Winnipeg Free Press)

Read more less

A three-thousand year history of the world that examines the causes of war and the search for peaceIn three thousand years of history, China has spent at least eleven centuries at war. The Roman Empire was in conflict during at least 50 per cent of its lifetime. Since 1776, the United States has spent over one hundred years at war. The dream of peace has been universal in the history of humanity. So why have we so rarely been able to achieve it? In A Political History of the World, Jonathan Holslag has produced a sweeping history of the world, from the Iron Age to the present, that investigates the causes of conflict between empires, nations and peoples and the attempts at diplomacy and cosmopolitanism. A birds-eye view of three thousand years of history, the book illuminates the forces shaping world politics from Ancient Egypt to the Han Dynasty, the Pax Romana to the rise of Islam, the Peace of Westphalia to the creation of the United Nations.This truly global approach enables Holslag to search for patterns across different eras and regions, and explore larger questions about war, diplomacy, and power. Has trade fostered peace? What are the limits of diplomacy? How does environmental change affect stability? Is war a universal sin of power? At a time when the threat of nuclear war looms again, this is a much-needed history intended for students of international politics, and anyone looking for a background on current events.

Read more less

“That tree has a history. In the old days people called it the See-Saw Tree. One of its branches grew straight out, near to the ground. Children used to balance a plank over the branch and use it as a see-saw. The villagers loved that oak. And the See-Saw Tree was itself like a village. A living community of animals, birds and insects, going about their daily business. It still is. Just imagine how that community will feel should it be threatened. Just imagine what might happen if any of the Council’s plans went ahead and they cut down that oak tree, that special oak tree. Just imagine, just imagine …” So says young eco-activist Elizabeth Green in her passionate speech against the felling of an ancient oak tree to make way for a new supermarket and children’s play area. She imagines the situation from the point of view of the creatures who live on and around the tree, who, thanks to the corporate greed of human beings, are now in danger of losing their much-loved home. The daily lives of tree residents, Owl, Squirrel, Mistlethrush, Dunnock and Bat, along with visitors Jay and Cuckoo, and Rabbit, whose burrow is nearby, are thrown into turmoil by the arrival of the Big Ones, the chainsaw-wielding human agents of destruction. Can the creatures beat the impossible odds and save their home – the See-Saw Tree?

Read more less

A FLAME TREE NOTEBOOK. Beautiful and luxurious the journals combine high-quality production with magnificent art. Perfect as a gift, and an essential personal choice for writers, notetakers, travellers, students, poets and diarists. Features a wide range of well-known and modern artists, with new artworks published throughout the year. BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED. The highly crafted covers are printed on foil paper, embossed then foil stamped, complemented by the luxury binding and rose red end-papers. The covers are created by our artists and designers who spend many hours transforming original artwork into gorgeous 3d masterpieces that feel good in the hand, and look wonderful on a desk or table. PRACTICAL, EASY TO USE. Flame Tree Notebooks come with practical features too: a pocket at the back for scraps and receipts; two ribbon markers to help keep track of more than just a to-do list; robust ivory text paper, printed with lines; and when you need to collect other notes or scraps of paper the magnetic side flap keeps everything neat and tidy. THE ARTIST. Angela Harding is a fine art painter and illustrator based in Rutland, UK. She specialises in lino prints and her work is inspired by British birds and the countryside. THE FINAL WORD. As William Morris said, "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Read more less

The joy and wonder of a garden-inspired lifestyle is captured in this colorfully photographed, through-the-seasons sourcebook filled with recipes, gardening wisdom, craft and wellness projects, and nature-based activities.Each season in the garden brings new joy and fresh inspiration for connecting with the wonders of the natural world. In The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder, popular gardening lifestyle influencer Allison Vallin Kostovick (Finch + Folly) invites fans of cottage core, gardening, and nature-based living to share her journey as she crafts, cooks, dreams, and creates.Drawing on decades of gardening experience, and illustrated with vibrant photography from her own home and garden, The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder offers sage advice on growing bountiful harvests of favourite vegetables, herbs, and flowers. All levels of gardeners, from dreamers to the experienced, will delight in the variety and creativity of Kostovick's projects, activities, and recipes for enjoying the magic and whimsy of the natural world-no matter what season.From planting a pollinator playground to building a rustic trellis from tree branches, cooking with freshly picked peas and mint to making a sweet viola tub soak, and growing a bird seed mix to crafting one-of-a-kind jewellery beads from the husks of the Job's Tears plant, the inventive ideas in this rich treasury are sure to make it a favourite to keep and to give to anyone who aspires to a more nature-connected lifestyle.

Read more less

A leading figure in the emerging field of extinction studies, Thom van Dooren puts philosophy into conversation with the natural sciences and his ethnographic encounters to vivify the cultural and ethical significance of modern-day extinctions. Unlike other meditations on the subject, Flight Ways incorporates the particularities of real animals and their worlds, drawing philosophers, natural scientists, and general readers into the experience of living among and losing biodiversity. Each chapter of Flight Ways focuses on a different species or group of birds: North Pacific albatrosses, Indian vultures, an endangered colony of penguins in Australia, Hawaiian crows, and the iconic whooping cranes of North America. Written in eloquent and moving prose, the book takes stock of what is lost when a life form disappears from the world-the wide-ranging ramifications that ripple out to implicate a number of human and more-than-human others. Van Dooren intimately explores what life is like for those who must live on the edge of extinction, balanced between life and oblivion, taking care of their young and grieving their dead. He bolsters his studies with real-life accounts from scientists and local communities at the forefront of these developments. No longer abstract entities with Latin names, these species become fully realized characters enmeshed in complex and precarious ways of life, sparking our sense of curiosity, concern, and accountability toward others in a rapidly changing world.

Read more less

A FLAME TREE NOTEBOOK. Beautiful and luxurious the journals combine high-quality production with magnificent art. Perfect as a gift, and an essential personal choice for writers, notetakers, travellers, students, poets and diarists. Features a wide range of well-known and modern artists, with new artworks published throughout the year. BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED. The highly crafted covers are printed on foil paper, embossed then foil stamped, complemented by the luxury binding and rose red end-papers. The covers are created by our artists and designers who spend many hours transforming original artwork into gorgeous 3d masterpieces that feel good in the hand, and look wonderful on a desk or table. PRACTICAL, EASY TO USE. Flame Tree Notebooks come with practical features too: a pocket at the back for scraps and receipts; two ribbon markers to help keep track of more than just a to-do list; robust ivory text paper, printed with lines; and when you need to collect other notes or scraps of paper the magnetic side flap keeps everything neat and tidy. THE ARTIST. Angela Harding is a fine art painter and illustrator based in Rutland, UK. She specialises in lino prints and her work is inspired by British birds and the countryside. THE FINAL WORD. As William Morris said, "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

Read more less

An entertaining and enlightening anthology of classical Greek and Roman writings on animals—and our vital relationships with themHow to Care about Animals is a fascinating menagerie of passages from classical literature about animals and the lives we share with them. Drawing on ancient writers from Aesop to Ovid, classicist and farmer M. D. Usher has gathered a healthy litter of selections that reveal some of the ways Greeks and Romans thought about everything from lions, bears, and wolves to birds, octopuses, and snails—and that might inspire us to rethink our own relationships with our fellow creatures. Presented in lively new translations, with the original texts on facing pages, these pieces are filled with surprises—anticipating but also offering new perspectives on many of our current feelings and ideas about animals.Here, Porphyry makes a compelling argument for vegetarianism and asserts that the just treatment of animals makes us better people; Pliny the Elder praises the virtuosity of songbirds and the virtuousness of elephants; Plutarch has one of Circe’s pigs from the Odyssey make a serio-comic case for the dignity of the beasts of the field; Aristotle puts the study of animals on par with anthropology; we read timeless Aesopian fables, including “The Hen That Laid the Golden Egg” and “The Fox and the Grapes”; and there is much, much more.A Noah’s Ark of a book, How to Care about Animals is guaranteed to charm and inspire anyone who loves animals.

Read more less

Ever since Charles Darwin visited there in 1835, the Galapagos have fascinated us like no other spot on Earth. This richly illustrated book captures the ethereal, haunting quality of the Galapagos and of the birds and animals that make these islands their home. Acclaimed wildlife photographer and writer Tui De Roy has spent her life exploring the Galapagos and recording their secrets. Here, in spectacular full-color images and in her own words, she shares her intimate knowledge of the islands and her deep love and respect for the natural wonders they conceal. De Roy takes readers from vibrant coastlines to sheltered interiors, photographing penguins, turtles, and marine iguanas. She visits active volcanic calderas, where life hangs in the balance each time the volcano remakes itself. De Roy follows the seasons of the giant tortoise, dives into the twilight world of sperm whales and hammerhead sharks, and treads on still-steaming volcanic crust. She also makes an impassioned plea for conservation. This updated tenth-anniversary edition of De Roy's celebrated book offers an unforgettable photographic tour of the Galapagos. Explore with her the incredible diversity of wildlife and habitats that rank these islands among the most fascinating and exotically beautiful places in the world. * Features 245 stunning full-color photographs * Includes De Roy's insightful commentary * Showcases some of the award-winning photographer's finest work * Brings the natural wonders of the Galapagos to life

Read more less

Tickle your tastebuds and channel your creativity with beautiful biscuits and intricate icing with the help of BiscuiteersGive unicorns to your friends; wellies to Dad; love birds to your loved-one; and an apple to the teacher. This book is just bursting with perfect iced gifts for everyone.Brimming with famous Biscuiteers designs, along with exclusive creations you won't have seen before, this beautiful book shows how easy it is to bake, ice and assemble your own delicious biscuits and cakes at home.You will soon be able to master . . .· Biscuit, cake and icing recipes including tips and advice· Icing techniques, methods and easy-to-follow guidance· Gift wrapping ideas to suit every occasion· Themed designs from bikes to teapots, popcorn to hot chocolate toppers· Seasonal projects including winter, spring, summer and autumn designs· Biscuits for special occasions such as weddings, new homes and birthdaysBake a wreath for your door; baubles for the tree; candles for a birthday cake; and favours for a wedding.Whatever your taste, with the award-winning Biscuiteers by your side, you can create perfect biscuit gifts for every special moment.________'Express your creativity by making impressively iced biscuits as gifts - or just for yourself using Biscuiteers' step-by-step guide' Daily Telegraph'If you love giving homemade presents, these imaginative ideas could be just up your street' Homes & Gardens

Read more less

This lavishly illustrated, fact-filled atlas-a follow-up to Maps of the World-allows children to discover the fascinating and mysterious world below sea level. Covering every ocean and major sea in the world, MAPS OF THE WORLD'S OCEANS is a vibrant and comprehensive atlas that children of all ages will love to explore. The dozens of colourful, detailed maps are filled with hundreds of illustrated icons highlighting creatures that inhabit the waters of the world from deep-ocean sharks to sea birds that rely on the water to survive. Also featured are vital vegetation, submerged shipwrecks and icons representing the myths and legends of the various peoples who supposedly lived by the seas. Along the surface, readers will explore ports, lighthouses, famous explorers and voyages, old navigation secrets and more. Flip the next page from any map and the corresponding icon key explains why these fish, animals, various organisms and more are so vital to the oceans and the seas - and therefore the world. Young readers will learn about waves and tides, currents and oceanic ridges and more giving them a complete look at the world's waters. Each map includes a link allowing kids to download a version of them on computers and tablets to explore even further. Captivating and comprehensive, MAPS OF THE WORLD'S OCEANS will entice even the most reluctant young explorer.

Read more less

Canadian Performance Documents and Debates provides insight into performance activities from the seventeenth century to the early 1970s, and probes important yet vexing questions about Canada as a country and a concept. The volume collects playscripts and archival material to explore what these documents tell us about the values, debates, and priorities of artists and their audiences from the past 400 years. Analyses throughout rethink the significance of theatre, dance, opera, circus, and other performance genres and events. This landmark collection challenges readers to reconsider Canadian theatre and performance history. Foreword by Jerry Wasserman. Contributors: Clarence S. Bayne, Kym Bird, Justin A. Blum, Amy Bowring, Jill Carter, Jenn Cole, Cynthia Cooper, Heather Davis-Fisch, Moira J. Day, Ray Ellenwood, Alan Filewod, Howard Fink, Liza Giffen, J. Paul Halferty, James Hoffman, Erin Hurley, John D. Jackson, Stephen Johnson, Sasha Kovacs, Sylvain Lavoie, Louis Patrick Leroux, Allana C. Lindgren, Denyse Lynde, Erin Joelle McCurdy, Wing Chung Ng, Glen F. Nichols, M. Cody Poulton, VK Preston, Daniel J. Ruppel, Jordan Stanger-Ross, Paul J. Stoesser, Christl Verduyn, Anthony J. Vickery, Anton Wagner

Read more less

Offering the very latest in diagnostics and therapeutics, this book presents a fully updated and revised edition of the definitive reference to veterinary ophthalmology. Covering both basic sciences and clinical treatment, it is a state-of-the-art text that encompasses ophthalmology in all species, including dogs, cats, horses, large animals, and exotic animals. Featuring expanded coverage of ocular conditions in cats, horses, and birds—and featuring nearly two thousand color photographs and illustrations—the book is a must for any practitioner treating eye disease. Veterinary Ophthalmology, Sixth Edition discusses all topics relevant to diagnosing, treating, and managing any disease related to the eye. The book also offers a companion website featuring video clips, and images from the book in PowerPoint, and contains the most comprehensive bibliographies found on the subject. Updates the gold-standard reference for veterinary ophthalmology Presents expanded coverage of feline, equine, and avian ophthalmology Incorporates new knowledge on diagnostics and therapeutics to provide a truly state-of-the-art text Provides 2,000 images to illustrate the concepts described Written by an international list of preeminent ophthalmologists Includes access to a companion website with the images for download in PowerPoint Veterinary Ophthalmology, Sixth Edition is an essential purchase for veterinary ophthalmologists and any practitioner treating ophthalmic diseases.

Read more less

In the winter of 1739, Georg Steller received word from Empress Anna of Russia that he was to embark on a secret expedition to the far reaches of Siberia as a member of the Great Northern Expedition. While searching for economic possibilities and strategic advantages, Steller was to send back descriptions of everything he saw. The Empress's instructions were detailed, from requests for a preserved whale brain to observing the child-rearing customs of local peoples, and Steller met the task with dedication, bravery, and a good measure of humor. In the name of science, Steller and his comrades confronted horse-swallowing bogs, leaped across ice floes, and survived countless close calls in their exploration of an unforgiving environment. Not stopping at lists of fishes, birds, and mammals, Steller also details the villages and the lives of those living there, from vice-governors to prostitutes. His writings rail against government corruption and the misuse of power while describing with empathy the lives of the poor and forgotten, with special attention toward Native peoples.What emerges is a remarkable window into life—both human and animal—in 18th century Siberia. Due to the secret nature of the expedition, Steller's findings were hidden in Russian archives for centuries, but the near-daily entries he recorded on journeys from the town of Irkutsk to Kamchatka are presented here in English for the first time.

Read more less

Disturbing and sensuous, Audrée Wilhelmy’s tale of a hermetic family minding a lighthouse in willed isolation is reminiscent of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.The Body of Beasts is a startling, gorgeously written novel that tells the story of the Borya family living in isolation. Their lives are altered when young Osip, peering from the lighthouse gallery sees a woman, Noé, arrive — her dress scant, her skin curiously scarred, and her manner mysterious and wild.Noé bears a child, Mie, to the eldest son on whose hunter-gathering the Borya family depends. She lives in a cabin on her own and covers the walls with drawings that allude to her mysterious life. The family’s entrenchment in nature is enthrallingly conveyed in young Mie’s sensuous ability to borrow at will the body of mammals, birds, fish, and insects. Her shape-shifting allows her to know the ways of the natural world, though only to a point. When her own awakening body starts to intrigue her, she asks her uncle Osip to “teach me human sex.” The Body of the Beasts is an imaginative tour de force, a beautifully described portrait of a world that exists outside of words; an uninhibited and erotic novel that, in the singular tradition of Québécois Boreal Gothic, explores our humanity — and animal nature.

Read more less

Introduced by Jeff VanderMeer - 'a classic: stunning, dangerous, darkly beautiful' - welcome to the post-apocalyptic White Lotus: a luxury hotel at the end of the world in this lost 1967 dystopia ...'Chilling and prescient.' Andrew Hunter Murray 'Elemental and true.' Kiran Millwood Hargrave 'Mesmerizing.' Sandra Newman 'Like someone from the future screaming to us.' Salena GoddenThe day we came up from the shelters four people were found dead on the steps of the hotel. Welcome to Termush: a luxury coastal resort like no other. All the wealthy guests are survivors: preppers who reserved rooms long before the Disaster. Inside, they embrace exclusive radiation shelters, ambient music and lavish provisions; outside, radioactive dust falls on the sculpture park, security men step over dead birds, and a reconnaissance party embarks.Despite weathering a nuclear apocalypse, their problems are only just beginning. Soon, the Management begins censoring news; disruptive guests are sedated; initial generosity towards Strangers ceases as fears of contamination and limited resources grow. But as the numbers - and desperation - of external survivors increase, admist this moral fallout, they must decide what it means to forge a new ethical code at the end (or beginning?) of the world ...Translated by Sylvia Clayton

Read more less

"Sue Flood is one of the elite wildlife photographers working today. Just turn over a few pages of this breath-taking book and you will see what I mean." - Michael Palin Emperor: The Perfect Penguin is a celebration of one of the world's most charismatic creatures. In temperatures that can reach -50°C with 150km/h winds, the emperor penguins' ability to survive and thrive is nothing short of astounding. Over the past nine years, award-winning photographer Sue Flood has journeyed to remote Antarctic penguin colonies to capture the birds in their native home. Sue Flood's respect for her subjects emanates from every page. From the poignant sight of an egg abandoned on the sea ice, to majestic shots of emperor penguins returning from the sea and heart-warming photos of chicks clustering together for warmth, every shot explores a new angle of life in this remote and ice-crusted world. As well as following the difficult journey of the penguins across the sea ice, Emperor: The Perfect Penguin narrates the hardships that must be endured to catch the perfect photograph. Sue's behind-the-scenes experiences prove that it is only with patience, endurance, and several thermal layers that one can capture magical moments on Earth's most inhospitable continent.

Read more less

Do you know that rabbits eat their own poo? That butterflies taste with their feet? Or that starfish aren’t actually fish? This trusty companion guide uncovers all the mysteries of the extraordinary wildlife that surrounds us. From gorgeous foxgloves and strong oaks to wild foxes and slow snails, get ready to find out about over 195 different animals, plants and other wildlife. There are so many wonderful living things to meet in this children's spotter's field guide, published in collaboration with the RSPB, the largest wildlife conservation charity in Europe. You will learn what a butterfly’s lifecycle looks like, what pretty flowers grow commonly in gardens and which mushrooms are best to steer clear from … they may be poisonous! This guide covers all grounds when it comes to nature. Whether you’re in a city park or on a walk in the woods, don’t ever leave your RSPB Nature Guide: Wildlife at home! Includes wildlife watcher tips; activities to try such as being an animal detective and a wildlife checklist so you can tick off everything you spot! With beautiful illustrations by Kate McLelland throughout, this is the perfect contemporary pocket guide for young wildlife watchers in-the-making and adult nature enthusiasts alike. The second title in the RSPB Nature Guide series, following Birds.

Read more less

Baltimore Trails is a comprehensive and detailed guide to trails on public lands in and around Baltimore. Discover Hemlock Gorge, a small slice of Appalachia transported into northern Baltimore County, with its timeless peace and ancient gnarled hemlocks; or Black Marsh, where birds skulk among the vegetation of pristine freshwater wetlands; or the unique landscape of Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, which shelters more than 38 rare plant species. Baltimore Trails answers the needs of hikers and mountain bikers, offering accurate maps, up-to-date access information, and reliable trail descriptions. Bryan MacKay, a lifelong Baltimore resident and avid naturalist, walked, cycled, and explored nearly 80 trails in local state, county, and city parks, as well as area watersheds. He provides a detailed description, topographic map, and the length, location, and degree of difficulty for each trail. Some trails offer an easy afternoon stroll, while others provide a day of rugged hiking or biking. Thumbnail essays offer scenic highlights and discuss typical plants, animals, and local ecology. Every trail was field-checked in 2007 for the second edition. Miles of new trails are included, as is updated information on recent trail reroutes.

Read more less

WINNER OF THE 2023 SID FLEISCHMAN HUMOR AWARDIn this thrilling and hilarious middle grade adventure, a young Filipino-American boy must team up with his ancestor to break the curse that’s haunted their family for generations . . . or be trapped in an amulet forever.Freddie Ruiz is cursed.While other people may have bad days, Freddie and his family have had bad generations: from bird poop splatting on him during picture day to the many tumbles and trips that earned him the nickname Faceplant Freddie. He’s learned to lay low and keep himself out of trouble—which means: no fun no friends and definitely no risks! But when he discovers a family heirloom, a century-old amulet from the Philippines that’s supposed to bring good fortune, Freddie thinks his luck is finally about to change.He couldn’t be more wrong. Because the spirit of Freddie’s cranky great-granduncle Ramon is trapped in the heirloom, and the evil spirits responsible for his death have returned with a vengeance. Now, Freddie and his cousin, Sharkey, have thirteen days to break the curse, or Freddie will join Ramon for an untimely afterlife in the amulet.A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year!

Read more less

We all have things we d like to do one day but work, family, school, money, and responsibilities get in the way. This invaluable guide to fun, fantastic, and life-affirming activities features an eclectic range of ideas such as self-improvement, sports-related endeavors, natural wonders, cultural experiences, culinary delights, and more. From glassblowing in the Czech Republic to swimming with dolphins in New Zealand, The Bucket List is the perfect gift for the passionate traveler an around-the-world, continent-by-continent listing of beaches, museums, monuments, islands, inns, restaurants, mountains, and more. Each activity is location-specific and as geographically unique as bird-watching in Kenya or driving through clouds in Sri Lanka, as well as other to-dos that can be done anywhere, such as sketching a sunset behind an architectural monument. In addition to classic outdoor pursuits, the book contains advice on how to achieve some of the most popular goals for people of all ages: direct a movie, learn to play an instrument, make pottery, protect an endangered species, name a star, try a new cuisine, or learn a new language. Whether you are more active or laid-back, serious-minded or lighthearted, you are bound to discover new, stimulating activities.

Read more less

Voted the UK’s Favourite Nature BookThe memoir that inspired Chris Packham's BBC documentary, Asperger’s and MeEvery minute was magical, every single thing it did was fascinating and everything it didn't do was equally wondrous, and to be sat there, with a Kestrel, a real live Kestrel, my own real live Kestrel on my wrist! I felt like I'd climbed through a hole in heaven's fence.An introverted, unusual young boy, isolated by his obsessions and a loner at school, Chris Packham only felt at ease in the fields and woods around his suburban home. But when he stole a young Kestrel from its nest, he was about to embark on a friendship that would teach him what it meant to love, and that would change him forever. In his rich, lyrical and emotionally exposing memoir, Chris brings to life his childhood in the 70s, from his bedroom bursting with fox skulls, birds' eggs and sweaty jam jars, to his feral adventures. But pervading his story is the search for freedom, meaning and acceptance in a world that didn’t understand him.Beautifully wrought, this coming-of-age memoir will be unlike any you've ever read.

Read more less

The Craft is an indispensable guide to both the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of poetic craft in the 21st century, and essential writing-desk companion for poets at all stages. The book covers practical techniques – the nuts of bolts of putting poems together, mastering poetic forms such as sonnets, sestinas, prose poems and golden shovels, how to choose titles for your poems and the art of long sequences. It also explores the idea of ‘craft’ itself - knowing how pentameters dance is important, but by no way is it the only dimension of ‘craft’ that the poet starting out today has to consider. What about sound and the skills involved in performing your work? What about truth and fabrication, and the ethics of using real life in your work? What about the politics of the word ‘craft’ itself? With essays on poetry from Moniza Alvi, Dean Atta, Liz Berry, Caroline Bird, Malika Booker, Debjani Chatterjee, Jane Commane, Rishi Dastidar, Carrie Etter, Will Harris, Tania Hershman, Peter Kahn, Gregory Leadbetter, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Roy McFarlane, Harry Man, Claire Pollard, Peter Raynard, Roger Robinson, Jacqueline Saphra, Joelle Taylor, Marvin Thompson, Julia Webb, and Antosh Wojcik.

Read more less

The stunning bestseller by Benji Davies, winner of the inaugural Oscar's First Book Prize, now available in board format! Noi and his father live in a house by the sea, his father works hard as a fisherman and Noi often has only their six cats for company. So when, one day, he finds a baby whale washed up on the beach after a storm, Noi is excited and takes it home to care for it. He tries to keep his new friend a secret, but there's only so long you can keep a whale in the bath without your dad finding out. Noi is eventually persuaded that the whale has to go back to the sea where it belongs. For Noi, even though he can't keep it, the arrival of the whale changes his life for the better - the perfect gift from one friend to another.Other books from the World of the Storm Whale: The Storm Whale in WinterGrandma BirdAlso by Benji Davies: Grandad's IslandOn Sudden Hill, written by Linda SarahWhen the Dragons Came, written by Naomi Kefford and Lynne MooreJump on Board the Animal Train, written by Naomi Kefford and Lynne Moore

Read more less

DISCOVER the facts and DO the activities in this fun geography book all about caring for our amazing Earth!Discover and Do! Geography is the perfect introduction to geography for readers aged 7 and up who enjoy getting creative! Each book looks at core geography topics and brings them to life through a lively combination of experiments, craft activities and quizzes. Discover & Do! Caring for Our Earth takes an up-close look at our world, exploring essential geography topics such as recycling, pollution and animal habitats, alongside details of how every person can live more sustainably, and how children can support local wildlife. Along the way, readers will discover how to draw a local area improvement plan, put together a bird station, observe the breakdown of organic matter firsthand and much more!Contents of Discover & Do! Caring for Our Earth:Planet EarthWater Where I Live Travelling Around Litter Reduce, Re-use!Recycle! Pollution Local Wildlife Habitats Energy Glossary Quiz and Further Information IndexTitles in the series:By the SeaCaring for Our EarthMapsMountainsRiversWeather

Read more less

The idea behind the boardbook collection was to attract even the youngest readers (from as young as 3 years old); to encourage them to discover subjects and areas that interest them (nature, animals, shapes, etc.) and to help them classify the things that surround them. The series is comprised of ten little books. Two are instructive, teaching shapes and numbers; five are exploratory and describe settings that are fun to discover (farm animals, wild animals, the backyard and its insects, the vegetable garden) and three are short stories about the experience of birth in nature (the birth of a little bird, of a butterfly and of a flower). Narration becomes the background for the text since touching and picture reading are the primary means of interpretation. A guiding character accompanies the child throughout each developing story until the end, where there is a summary of all the characters introduced in the book. Consistent with the Montessori approach, the child is encouraged to interact independently with his or her book. For example, in some cases, the child is asked to use a finger to trace the outline of a shape and notice its characteristics (round, sharp-edged, jagged, etc.). In others, he or she is asked to use a finger to follow a path in order to discover hidden characters and learn to associate them with their most distinctive features (the lion's tail, the rabbit's ears, the colours of vegetables, etc.). Ages: 3 plus

Read more less

The idea behind the boardbook collection was to attract even the youngest readers (from as young as 3 years old); to encourage them to discover subjects and areas that interest them (nature, animals, shapes, etc.) and to help them classify the things that surround them. The series is comprised of ten little books. Two are instructive, teaching shapes and numbers; five are exploratory and describe settings that are fun to discover (farm animals, wild animals, the backyard and its insects, the vegetable garden) and three are short stories about the experience of birth in nature (the birth of a little bird, of a butterfly and of a flower). Narration becomes the background for the text since touching and picture reading are the primary means of interpretation. A guiding character accompanies the child throughout each developing story until the end, where there is a summary of all the characters introduced in the book. Consistent with the Montessori approach, the child is encouraged to interact independently with his or her book. For example, in some cases, the child is asked to use a finger to trace the outline of a shape and notice its characteristics (round, sharp-edged, jagged, etc.). In others, he or she is asked to use a finger to follow a path in order to discover hidden characters and learn to associate them with their most distinctive features (the lion's tail, the rabbit's ears, the colours of vegetables, etc.). Ages 3 plus

Read more less

When can you find ripe blueberries along the Appalachian Trail in Maryland? Where can you see the air filled with monarch butterflies as they migrate south each autumn? If you want to enjoy nature this weekend, where is the best place to visit? Bryan MacKay can tell you. Written as an almanac, A Year across Maryland invites you to explore the natural world throughout the year, from watching bald eagles nesting in January to harvesting mistletoe in December. Entries identify the best time and place to experience such wonders as wildflowers blooming, birds in migration, amphibians singing, and morel mushrooms ready to be picked, sliced, sauteed, and devoured. Color photographs of more than seventy species enrich and illustrate the text. Every week of the year has a recommended "Trip of the Week." Personal essays that draw from MacKay's field notes provide an intimate glimpse into a biologist encounters with plants and animals over the years. Whether you want to see snow geese and trumpeter swans pausing in their northward migration each March, or the mating "jubilee" of polychaete worms during the new moon in May, A Year across Maryland offers valuable advice for the spontaneous adventurer and the serious planner alike.

Read more less

Fortunately, we are still a nation of sceptics. Fortunately, there are those among us who study pandemics and are willing to look unflinchingly at worst-case scenarios. Michael Lewis’s taut and brilliant nonfiction thriller pits a band of medical visionaries against the wall of ignorance that was the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of COVID-19. The characters you will meet in these pages are as fascinating as they are unexpected. A thirteen-year-old girl’s science project on transmission of an airborne pathogen develops into a very grown-up model of disease control. A local public-health officer uses her worm’s-eye view to see what the CDC misses, and reveals great truths about American society. A secret team of dissenting doctors, nicknamed the Wolverines, has everything necessary to fight the pandemic: brilliant backgrounds, world-class labs, prior experience with the pandemic scares of bird flu and swine flu…everything, that is, except official permission to implement their work. Michael Lewis is not shy about calling these people heroes for their refusal to follow directives that they know to be based on misinformation and bad science. Even the internet, as crucial as it is to their exchange of ideas, poses a risk to them. They never know for sure who else might be listening in.

Read more less

Silver Medal, 2023 Nautilus Book Awards in the category of Ecology and EnvironmentAmid environmental catastrophe, it is vital to recall what unites all forms of life. We share characteristics and genetic material extending back billions of years. More than that, we all—from humans to plants to bacteria—share a planet. We are all Earthlings.Adrian Parr calls on us to understand ourselves as existing with and among the many forms of Earthling life. She argues that human survival requires us to recognize our interdependent relationships with the other species and systems that make up life on Earth. In a series of meditations, Earthlings portrays the wonder and beauty of life with deep feeling, vivid detail, and an activist spirit. Parr invites readers to travel among the trees of the Amazonian rainforest; take flight with birds and butterflies migrating through the skies; and plunge into the oceans with whales and polar bears—as well as to encounter bodies infected with deadly viruses and maimed by the violence of global capitalism.Combining poetic observation with philosophical contemplation and scientific evidence, Parr offers a moving vision of a world in upheaval and a potent manifesto for survival. Earthlings is both a joyful celebration of the magnificence of the biosphere and an urgent call for action to save it.

Read more less

Enid Blyton's books are beloved the world over and The Famous Five have been the perennial favourite of her fans. Now, in this new series of Enid Blyton for Grown-Ups, George, Dick, Anne, Julian and Timmy confront a new challenge: is it possible to get a good gluten-free cream tea?Julian, Anne, Dick, George and Timmy are all feeling really rather rum, and it's been going on for days. Nothing seems to work, and with their doctors mystified, they're driven to trying out various expedients to cure themselves. Julian goes online to self-diagnose that he's got pancreatic cancer, bird flu and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Anne decides that the old methods are the best and decides to have herself exorcised - which proves to be an awful lot of bother for everyone, and such a mess. Dick goes to a witch-doctor who calls himself a 'homeopath' ('sounds only one short of sociopath, Dick!') but it's George who discovers they need to go on an exclusion diet, so they enter a world of hard-to-find, maddeningly expensive specialist foods . . .Just perfect for anyone who likes Deliciously Ella, Amelia Freer and the Naturalista - as well as any reluctant partners who are begrudgingly spiralising courgettes for dinner.

Read more less

Children’s gardens are magical places where kids can interact with plants, see where food and fibers grow, and experience the role of birds, butterflies, and bees in nature. These gardens do more than just expose youngsters to outdoor environments, they also provide marvelous teaching opportunities for them to visit a small plot, care for vegetables and flowers, and interact in creative spaces designed to stimulate all five senses. In The Magic of Children’s Gardens, landscape architect Lolly Tai provides the primary goals, concepts and key considerations for designing outdoor spaces that are attractive to and suitable for children especially in urban environments. Tai presents inspiring ideas for creating children’s green spaces by examining nearly twentycase studies, including the Chicago Botanic Gardens and Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.The Magic of Children’s Gardens features hundreds of comprehensive drawings and gorgeous photographs of successful children’s outdoor environments, detailed explanations of the design process, and the criteria needed to create attractive and pleasing gardens for children to augment their physical, mental, and emotional development.Exposing youth to well-planned outdoor environments promotes our next generation of environmental stewards. The Magic of Children's Gardens offers practitioners a guide to designing these valued spaces.

Read more less

Children’s gardens are magical places where kids can interact with plants, see where food and fibers grow, and experience the role of birds, butterflies, and bees in nature. These gardens do more than just expose youngsters to outdoor environments, they also provide marvelous teaching opportunities for them to visit a small plot, care for vegetables and flowers, and interact in creative spaces designed to stimulate all five senses. In The Magic of Children’s Gardens, landscape architect Lolly Tai provides the primary goals, concepts and key considerations for designing outdoor spaces that are attractive to and suitable for children especially in urban environments. Tai presents inspiring ideas for creating children’s green spaces by examining nearly twentycase studies, including the Chicago Botanic Gardens and Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.The Magic of Children’s Gardens features hundreds of comprehensive drawings and gorgeous photographs of successful children’s outdoor environments, detailed explanations of the design process, and the criteria needed to create attractive and pleasing gardens for children to augment their physical, mental, and emotional development.Exposing youth to well-planned outdoor environments promotes our next generation of environmental stewards. The Magic of Children's Gardens offers practitioners a guide to designing these valued spaces.

Read more less

Flavia was born with a birthmark marring her face in the shape of a bird in flight. A dyer’s daughter, she grows up in a secluded little house in the woods, away from prying eyes. Ashamed of the mark, her mother forces Flavia to conceal her face behind a veil. But on the night before her younger sister’s wedding, Flavia does something drastic, something that will draw her into a much wider and stranger world than she could have imagined: the convent of Santa Giuliana, just outside the city walls. There she meets Ghostanza, a courtesan turned widow, whose white-lead painted face entrances Flavia, and whose beauty and cruelty are unmatched. Flavia becomes her ornatrix: her hairdresser and personal maid. But as white-lead paint rots the flesh below it, the bustling city, and Santa Giuliana, is rotting below the shimmer of wealth and privilege. And Flavia is drawn into a world of desire and jealousy that has devastating consequences. Set in sixteenth century and painted against a vivid historical Italian landscape, rich in description and character and with themes and characters relevant to today, it tackles issues of belonging, female identity and the perception of beauty. It cannot fail to move.

Read more less

Jigsaw puzzles are one of the simplest and most effective ways to learn while having fun! Created for pre-school children, the aim of this new and innovative collection is to unite reading time with playtime and manual creativity. In each volume, the pages of text are alternated with puzzle pages to put back together: in order to see how many sheep there are in the field, or what the bird's house is made of, children will have to piece together Ronnie Gazzola's illustrations on their own, giving them a whole new sense of satisfaction! Depending on the volume, the puzzles are made up of 1 or 6 pieces: in both cases they are very easy to put back together, but at the same time stimulating and exciting (and made in durable cardboard!). In What color are you? and How many animals on the farm?, the two-piece puzzles will teach children to count from one to five and to recognise colours together with some lovely little animals; in Home sweet home! and Where's your mommy, T-rex?, the six-piece puzzles will teach them to link each animal to their home in the first book and all about the most famous dinosaurs in the second. This is a sure method for children to learn with ease and above all having lots of fun! Ages: 3 plus

Read more less

Finalist, New Brunswick Book Award for Non-FictionFrom the first sentence, "I come from a long line of river people," to the last, "Bad luck to kill a moose bird," Wayne Curtis signals that this book occupies the territory of a classic, a lyrical memoir of a river and those who submit to its call.New Brunswick's Miramichi River is one of the most entrancing salmon rivers in the world. In Fishing the High Country, Curtis has created what can only be described as a river masterpiece, a lyrical record of time and place, of those who are drawn to its side and those who cast their lines into its waters.Drawing on his experience of life along the river — as a boy, as a young man, and as a river guide among guides, Wayne Curtis crafts the compelling memoir of this place, a high country where he spins his tales, casts his flies, and fishes the river and woods for his stories. The Miramichi vibrates in Curtis's bones. His cast of characters are earthy, whimsical, and wise. His eye for the telling detail and his rooted understanding of lives lived humbly will captivate readers with its near mystical blend of the mysteries of fly fishing and the affections of the heart.

Read more less

Part human, part animal — all fantastic!Veteran illustrator Ryo Sumiyoshi stretches the boundaries of fantasy human-animal hybrids in his new book—presenting not just the usual jungle beasties but a fascinating array of strange and unusual creatures found nowhere else! Sumiyoshi's extensive sketchbook ideas, drawing tips and full-color examples combine insights on body structures and movement with conceptual sketches and notes linking physical attributes to personality and behavior.The hundreds of drawings in this book show you how to create a rich menagerie of fantasy characters: Anthropomorphic furries based on the classic dog, cat, fox and werewolf-type characters Humans with animal features like a hunter with a bushy tail and the crafty face of a cat Animals with human features, for example a six-legged tiger with a human face Animal-to-animal hybrids including a snake-fox and a griffinesque chimera These creatures boast mix-and-match fangs, beaks, paws, claws, fur, fins, feathers, scales and plates paired with expressive human attributes. And they come from every branch of the animal kingdom—from mammals to birds, reptiles, fish and insects—and everything in between.This is the ultimate sourcebook for anyone interested in fantasy creature design!

Read more less

There has, in recent years, been an explosion of writing about place, landscape and the natural world. But within this, women’s voices have remained in the minority. This anthology gathers the voices of women from the fourteenth to the twenty-first centuries whose subject is the natural world in Britain, Ireland and the outlying islands of our archipelago. Alongside the traditional forms of the travelogue, the walking guide, books on birds, plants and wildlife, Women on Nature embraces alternative modes of seeing and recording that turn the genre on its head. Katharine Norbury has sifted though the pages of women’s fiction, poetry, biography, gardening diaries and recipe books and garnered accounts from artists, farmers, theologians and natural scientists to demonstrate the multitudinous ways in which women have observed the world about them. From the fourteenth-century spiritual revelations of Julian of Norwich to the seventeenth-century travel journals of Celia Fiennes, and including a host of twenty-first-century voices such Sarah Evans, Sinéad Gleeson, Kathleen Jamie, Jackie Kay, Rachel Lichtenstein, Amy Liptrot, Helen Mort, Anita Sethi and more, Women on Nature presents a fresh vision of the natural world and is of unique importance in terms of women’s history and the history of writing about nature.

Read more less

Ever since Mrs Malaprop first took to the stage in 1775 and described a gentleman as 'the very pineapple of politeness', some famous figures have become better known for their slips of the tongue than for anything they said intentionally. In particular, the careers of a number of broadcasters, sporting figures and politicians have become defined by their verbal blunders. Former US Vice-President Dan Quayle is remembered solely for making unfortunate remarks such as 'Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child.' Welsh naturalist Iolo Williams sent Twitter into meltdown when, discussing diving sea birds on Springwatch 2016, he asked a female conservationist: 'Is that the deepest shag you've ever had?' Even respected sports broadcaster Harry Carpenter was probably haunted forever by his seemingly innocent comment at the end of the 1977 Boat Race: 'Ah, isn't that nice? The wife of the Cambridge President is kissing the cox of the Oxford crew.' I WISH I HADN'T SAID THAT is a collection of over 3,000 spoken and written blunders - including unintentional double entendres, spoonerisms, mixed metaphors, malapropisms, jaw-dropping remarks, misguided quiz show answers, embarrassing newspaper misprints, and foreign signs and notices that have sadly become lost in translation.

Read more less

Introduce children to nature in the Southwest through fun activities and hands-on science projects. With six states and a wide range of habitats, plants, and animals, the Southwest is a wonderful region for getting outside and discovering nature. There is so much to see and appreciate—even in your backyard or at a nearby park. Teach your children to love and protect the great outdoors. This workbook by botanist George Oxford Miller features more than 20 simple, fun introductions to astronomy, birds, geology, and more. Plus, over a dozen activities help kids to make hypotheses, experiment, and observe. The 19 hands-on science projects—such as raising native caterpillars, making mushroom spore prints, and attracting moths with an ultraviolet light—put students in control of their own learning! You never know what your children will uncover in their outdoor classroom. Every day is a little treasure hunt. If they keep good records and share what they find, their observations can even help scientists learn more about nature in the states of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, western Texas, and southern Utah. So get the Backyard Science & Discovery Workbook: Southwest, and get started on a lifetime of discovery.

Read more less

Labyrinths explores the origins of thirteen books I have written in the past few decades, texts that have helped to define the emerging parameters of relief operations that inevitably follow armed conflicts or natural disasters. Widely used in international training programs, these books provide practical, specific approaches and solutions—to complex problems in a multidisciplinary field. But how, and why, and even when certain editorial decisions were made required a deeper probe, and Labyrinths looks back at the formative influences of childhood, adolescence, education, and early professional experiences. Many of the pieces in this volume predate the Fordham University Press Humanitarian Book series. They were written in a library in our beach home, overlooking sand dunes and the Atlantic Ocean, with the rhythmic sound of waves and bird song as background music. In the quiet isolation of a seaside town I find respite from a busy life devoted to clinical medicine, public health, teaching, travel, and a global network of international humanitarian assistance projects. This book is dedicated “For the People of Point Lookout,” who have respected my privacy while I develop initiatives that have spread from this tiny hamlet to reach millions of vulnerable people around the world.

Read more less

Nothing causes a stir on social media platforms like a topical discussion on the latest food trend. Modern-day chefs like to think that they are creative and often claim to push boundaries of food creation, but if we want to explore real culinary creativity then we need to look to our ancestors. Writer and food historian, Seren Charrington-Hollins delves into the history of culinary experimentation to bring us some of the weirdest and most stomach-churning food delicacies to ever grace a dining table. She uncovers the rather gruesome history behind some everyday staples, uncovers bizarre and curious recipes, whilst casting a light on foods that have fallen from culinary grace, such as cows udders and tripe; showing that revulsion is just a matter of taste, times and perhaps knowledge. From pickled brains to headcheese, through to song birds and nymph's thighs, this book explores foods that have evoked disgust and delight in diners depending on culinary perspective. So pull up a chair, unfold your napkin and get ready for a highly entertaining and enlightening journey to explore what makes a recipe revolting? Be warned; you'll need a strong stomach and an open mind.

Read more less

Swamper, a fictitious swamp rabbit, lives in the bottomland hardwood forest, or overflow swamp, which is a very real environment. In twelve ""letters"" addressed to his human friends, Swamper shares his vivid observations about life in a Louisiana swamp. With excitement and captivating detail Swamper explains ecological concepts such as food webs, energy flow, decomposition, and reproduction. He recounts adventures like escaping his predators, the great horned owl and the red fox, and swimming for his life after a flood forces him to find higher ground. The observant swamp rabbit even describes the seasonal migration of birds and the monthly phases of the moon. While educating readers about the interconnected life cycles found in a natural habitat, Swamper's first-hand account of the richness and value of the wetlands will also help them develop a deeper appreciation for this delicate ecosystem. Written for 8- 12-year-olds, the content aligns with life science and environmental science educational standards for 4th through 7th grades. Also Includes:A glossary of key termsQuestions and a creative activity for each letterBiologically accurate drawings of animals and habitatColor photographs of the environmentSupplementary online resources for teachers and parents

Read more less

Frank and Joe circle a new case in the wilds of Alaska in the twenty-fourth book in the thrilling Hardy Boys Adventures series.Frank and Joe Hardy are excited when their parents’ friends, the Adenshaws, invite them to come visit their home in Alaska. The brothers will have the perfect guide to explore the beautiful landscape the area is known for—their hosts’ daughter, Kate. During the visit, Kate introduces the Hardys to her beloved peregrine falcon. There’s a major falconry competition coming up in the United Arab Emirates, and even though Kate can’t compete, she—like so many others in the falconry world—is eagerly looking forward to the event, which has millions riding on it. One California falconer even offered to buy Kate’s falcon so he could enter it in the contest. When Kate’s peregrine goes missing, it looks like the Californian or someone else may have turned criminal in their ruthless desire to win. Kate is devastated, and the Hardy boys have to figure out if her falcon could have flown off…or if it was stolen. Frank and Joe may not know much about birds of prey, but they do know how to solve a mystery. But can they soar to success?

Read more less