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The Half-Mammals of Dixie |
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 Book Review
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0156028581 |
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Book Review
While it often seems true that every town in America has become depressingly alike, fully franchised and chain-stored to death, short story writer George Singleton offers a compelling rebuttal in his second collection, The Half-Mammals of Dixie. Almost all 15 of its stories are set in or around a fictional South Carolina town called Forty Five, and Singleton's eccentric characters--flea-market hustlers, a fish aquarium salesman, a bogus "primitive" artist--are hard to imagine outside the narrow civic boundaries of his singular imagination. A writing teacher and ashtray-collecting, flea-market hound himself, Singleton builds most of his stories around first-person narrators, evoking such writers as Flannery O'Connor, Barry Hannah, and Raymond Carver, but infusing each tale with his own brand of sly humor and outsider... |
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Belly Button Book |
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| Author: |
Sandra Boynton |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
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0761137998 |
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Usually ships within 24 hours. |
Book Description
Emboldened by the enthusiastic response to Belly Button (Round)—a song from her Grammy-nominated book/CD, Philadelphia Chickens—Sandra Boynton further contemplates this mesmerizing subject.
Featuring a beachful of bare-bellied hippos—including one tiny baby who can only say “Bee Bo”—the Belly Button Book is the latest quirky addition to the phenomenally successful Boynton on Board series, which has 5.5 million copies in print. Every page captivates with Sandra Boynton’s inimitable illustrations and joyful rhyming text:
Soon after dark, upon the beach, we sing a hippo song, and if you’re feeling in the mood, we hope you’ll sing along: “Belly Belly Button, you’re oh so fine. Ooo, Belly Button, I’m so happy you’re mine.”... |
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Goodnight Moon (Board Book) |
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| Author: |
Margaret Wise Brown |
Book Review
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Board Book |
| ISBN: |
0694003611 |
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Book Review
Perhaps the perfect children's bedtime book, Goodnight Moon is a short poem of goodnight wishes from a young rabbit preparing for--or attempting to postpone--his own slumber. He says goodnight to every object in sight and within earshot, including the "quiet old lady whispering hush." Clement Hurd's illustrations are simple and effective, alternating between small ink drawings and wide, brightly colored views of the little rabbit's room. Finding all of the items mentioned throughout the book within the pictures is a good bedtime activity--a reappearing little mouse is particularly pesky. By the end of the little rabbit's goodnight poem, the story has quieted to a whisper, and the drawings have darkened with nightfall. As you turn the last page, you can expect a sleepy smile and at least a yawn or two. (Picture book)
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The Great American Mousical |
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| Author: |
Julie Andrews Edwards |
Book Review
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Hardcover |
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0060579188 |
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From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5–Deep beneath the grand but dilapidated Sovereign on New York Citys Broadway, in a perfect miniature of the theater, a group of mice are furiously rehearsing for their own musical, due to open the next night, New Years Eve. However, the tempestuous leading lady, Adelaide, gets caught in a mousetrap, is abandoned outside the city, but with the help of a kindly stranger makes her way back in time for the performance. Alls well that ends well, but readers may not stick it out to the happy finale. So many stock characters are introduced so quickly–only a few of whom are fleshed out even to the smallest degree–that it is impossible to care about the fate of any of them. A long list of the characters at the front and a glossary of theatrical terms in the back add nothing to childrens... |
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Domestic Rabbits & Their Histories: Breeds of the World |
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Book Review
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1585972754 |
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Book Description
Here is an invaluable new reference book, bringing years of experience, research and information together into one handy publication. Over 200 breeds have been meticulously researched, making this title indispensable reading for all rabbit enthusiasts.
About the Author
A life member of the American Rabbit Breeders Assocation, Bob Whitman resides in Beaumont, Texas, where he has been associated with rabbits since the age of six. He operates Rare Bits & Pieces, a rabbitry specializing in endangered and new breeds from other countries.
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The Kissing Hand with Sticker |
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| Author: |
Audrey Penn |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0878685855 |
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Ships within 2-3 days. |
Book Review
Chester Raccoon doesn't want to go to school--he wants to stay home with his mother. She assures him that he'll love school--with its promise of new friends, new toys, and new books. Even better, she has a special secret that's been in the family for years--the Kissing Hand. This secret, she tells him, will make school seem as cozy as home. She takes her son's hand, spreads his tiny fingers into a fan and kisses his palm--smack dab in the middle: "Chester felt his mother's kiss rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he feels lonely at school, all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek to feel the warmth of his mother's kiss. Chester is so pleased with his Kissing Hand that he--in a genuinely touching moment--gives his mom a Kissing Hand, too, to comfort her when he is away. Audrey Penn's The... |
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Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic Mammals of North America: Biostratigraphy and Geochronology |
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Book Review
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0231130406 |
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Review
"This will be a landmark reference for individuals learning and modifying their ideas about the geological history of the North American continent." -- Choice
" Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic Mammals of North America is now the modern standard reference for mammalian biochronology." -- Bruce J. MacFadden, Journal of Paleontology
Book Description
This book places into modern context the information by which North American mammalian paleontologists recognize, divide, calibrate, and discuss intervals of mammalian evolution known as North American Land Mammal Ages. It incorporates new information on the systematic biology of the fossil record and utilizes the many recent advances in geochronologic methods and their results. The book describes the increasingly highly resolved stratigraphy... |
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane |
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| Author: |
Kate DiCamillo |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0763625892 |
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From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 3-6–This achingly beautiful story shows a true master of writing at her very best. Edward Tulane is an exceedingly vain, cold-hearted china rabbit owned by 10-year-old Abilene Tulane, who dearly loves him. Her grandmother relates a fairy tale about a princess who never felt love; she then whispers to Edward that he disappoints her. His path to redemption begins when he falls overboard during the familys ocean journey. Sinking to the bottom of the sea where he will spend 297 days, Edward feels his first emotion–fear. Caught in a fishermans net, he lives with the old man and his wife and begins to care about his humans. Then their adult daughter takes him to the dump, where a dog and a hobo find him. They ride the rails together until Edward is cruelly separated from... |
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The Biology of Belief |
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| Author: |
Bruce H. Lipton |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0975991477 |
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Usually ships within 24 hours. |
Book Description
The Biology of Belief is a groundbreaking work in the field of New Biology. Author Dr. Bruce Lipton is a former medical school professor and research scientist. His experiments, and those of other leading-edge scientists, have examined in great detail the processes by which cells receive information. The implications of this research radically change our understanding of life. It shows that genes and DNA do not control our biology; that instead DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our positive and negative thoughts. Dr. Lipton's profoundly hopeful synthesis of the latest and best research in cell biology and quantum physics is being hailed as a major breakthrough showing that our bodies can be changed as we retrain our thinking.
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Animals in Translation : Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior |
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| Author: |
Temple Grandin, Catherine Johnson |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback
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| ISBN: |
0156031442 |
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From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Philosophers and scientists have long wondered what goes on in the minds of animals, and this fascinating study gives a wealth of illuminating insights into that mystery. Grandin, an animal behavior expert specializing in the design of humane slaughter systems, is autistic, and she contends that animals resemble autistic people in that they think visually rather than linguistically and perceive the world as a jumble of mesmerizing details rather than a coherent whole. Animals—cows, say, on their way through a chute—are thus easily spooked by novelties that humans see as trivialities, such as high-pitched noises, drafts and dangling clothes. Other animals accomplish feats of obsessive concentration; squirrels really do remember where each acorn is buried. The portrait she paints of... |
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Bunnicula |
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| Author: |
James Howe |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
0689806590 |
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Usually ships within 24 hours. |
Book Review
This immensely popular children's story is told from the point of view of a dog named Harold. It all starts when Harold's human family, the Monroes, goes to see the movie Dracula, and young Toby accidentally sits on a baby rabbit wrapped in a bundle on his seat. How could the family help but take the rabbit home and name it Bunnicula? Chester, the literate, sensitive, and keenly observant family cat, soon decides there is something weird about this rabbit. Pointy fangs, the appearance of a cape, black-and-white coloring, nocturnal habits … it sure seemed like he was a vampire bunny. When the family finds a white tomato in the kitchen, sucked dry and colorless, well … Chester becomes distraught and fears for the safety of the family. "Today, vegetables. Tomorrow … the world!" he warns Harold. But when... |
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Lilly's Big Day |
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| Author: |
Kevin Henkes |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0060742364 |
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From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-When her teacher, Mr. Slinger, announces that he is going to marry Ms. Shotwell, the school nurse, the indomitable Lilly takes her role as flower girl at their wedding for granted. Of course, he hasn't asked her-yet-but the young mouse commences practicing her very slow walk, eyebrows raised, hands in front grasping her imaginary bouquet. Her parents give her reasons why her plan might go awry. Do you understand-¦? they ask. I understand that I'm going to be a flower girl, she responds. At school, she writes Mr. Slinger a note, declaring herself The World's Best and Most Famous Flower Girl. He finally persuades her to be an assistant to his niece, and Lilly rises to the rescue in a surprise twist that satisfies everybody. Henkes's familiar watercolor cartoons elaborate on the witty... |
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National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals |
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| Author: |
John O. Whitaker |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0679446311 |
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Book Review
Consider the lynx, a medium-sized cat of boreal regions of North America, "a solitary animal, associated with the opposite sex only during mating." Consider the Oldfield mouse, Peromyscus polionotus, once abundant in abandoned fields and beaches from South Carolina to northern Florida. These are but two of the 390 species covered in this densely informative, well-illustrated guidebook to the mammals of North America, with photographs keyed to textual descriptions that cover a given animal's physical features, range and habitat, breeding characteristics, and behavior (and, helpfully, that list other animals with which it might be confused). This easy-to-use handbook makes a superb addition to any naturalist's library. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
From a stop-action photograph of... |
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If You Give a Moose a Muffin |
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| Author: |
Laura Joffe Numeroff |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0060244054 |
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Book Review
"If you give a moose a muffin, he'll want some jam to go with it." So begins the most logical silliness to be found anywhere--at least since Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrator Felicia Bond's If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Readers will follow a young boy and his voracious visitor through a series of antlered antics: jam reveries and puppet shows and big messes. It all makes perfect sense, really, once you stop to think about it. What moose wouldn't want to borrow a sweater when it's cold outside? And why shouldn't the loose button on the sweater remind him of his grandmother? Bond's cleverly detailed, witty illustrations perfectly complement Numeroff's deadpan style. Through just a few deft words and brush strokes, the reader gets a real sense of the unique personalities of the two characters. Children will relate easily to... |
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A Giraffe and a Half |
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| Author: |
Shel Silverstein |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0060256559 |
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' C
"Infectiously funny . . . a good nonsensical text and illustrations."
--This text refers to the
Library Binding
edition.
Book Description
If you had a giraffe and he stretched another half … you would have a giraffe and a half. And if you glued a rose to the tip of his nose … And … if he put on a shoe and then stepped in some glue … And if he used a chair to comb his hair … And so it goes until … but that would be telling. Children will be kept in stitches until the very end, when the situation is resolved in the most riotous way possible. Shel Silverstein’s incomparable line drawings add to the hilarity of his wildly funny rhymes.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Mammals (Discoveries Series) |
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| Author: |
George McKay |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0760746400 |
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Book Description
Mammals is part of Discoveries, a dynamic new reference series for children. Atmospheric illustrations, strong photographs and lively text engage and encourage readers to discover for themselves the world around them. Titles from Natural History, Our World, Science and Technology and Our Past cover an exciting span of subjects: from the depths of space in Stars and Planets to the inside intricacies of machine in How Things WorkA four-page foldout in each title reveals a dramatic, and perhaps unexpected, perspective.
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Animals in Translation |
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| Author: |
Temple Grandin |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0743247698 |
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| Availability: |
Ships within 2-3 days. |
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Philosophers and scientists have long wondered what goes on in the minds of animals, and this fascinating study gives a wealth of illuminating insights into that mystery. Grandin, an animal behavior expert specializing in the design of humane slaughter systems, is autistic, and she contends that animals resemble autistic people in that they think visually rather than linguistically and perceive the world as a jumble of mesmerizing details rather than a coherent whole. Animals—cows, say, on their way through a chute—are thus easily spooked by novelties that humans see as trivialities, such as high-pitched noises, drafts and dangling clothes. Other animals accomplish feats of obsessive concentration; squirrels really do remember where each acorn is buried. The portrait she paints of... |
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Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals |
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| Author: |
Richard D. Estes |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
1890132446 |
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From Library Journal
Anyone who goes on safari will want to make room in his or her suitcase for this treasure. Estes, who is affiliated with Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institute as a research associate, spent over eight years doing fieldwork in Africa and over 17 years leading safaris. His admirable qualifications as an expert on the social ecology of African mammals are reflected in the text, which describes approximately 86 species of African mammals. Introductory chapters give practical advice on how to observe animals, including tips on using binoculars and photographic equipment. Other chapters are arranged by standard taxonomic classification. Estes first covers the characteristics of families and subfamilies and then goes into even more detail on the individual species, charting behaviors one can expect to see and... |
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Brand-New Pencils, Brand-New Books |
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| Author: |
Diane de Groat |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
006072613X |
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Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From Publishers Weekly
In this prequel to deGroat's series of Gilbert tales (Happy Birthday to You, You Belong in a Zoo), the earnest young opossum survives—quite easily—his first day of first grade. As in the earlier stories, the author convincingly exposes her hero's emotions, which here are in tune with those experienced by any fledgling first grader. Gilbert is fearful that his teacher won't be nice and, in the classroom, he is embarrassed when he sits at the wrong desk and, at lunch, is afraid that he'll get sent to the principal if he doesn't eat his food. The narrative incorporates some equally true-to-life incidents that would comfort a new student (e.g., sitting by himself in the cafeteria, Gilbert is finally joined by a boy who has "the exact same Martian Space Pilot lunchbox" as he does). And deGroat reassuringly... |
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Guess How Much I Love You |
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| Author: |
Sam McBratney |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Board Book |
| ISBN: |
076360013X |
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Book Review
Based on the popular bedtime story Guess How Much I Love You, My Baby Book is a delightful way to record and cherish the important events of your baby's first two years. Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare return to scamper through the pages, adding just the right touch of whimsy to this charming scrapbook. Divided into sections such as "Up and About" and "On Vacation," the book is enhanced by the well-known declarations of Little Nutbrown Hare. "Guess how often I fell over! Oops-a-daisy!" he says, balancing himself on a tree stump under "My First Step." Anita Jeram's soft watercolors and expressive line drawings are truly heartwarming without ever being saccharine, and the baby-book section ideas are refreshingly innovative. With ample room to record everything from baby's height and weight to the price of a... |
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National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World |
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| Author: |
National Audubon Society |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0375411410 |
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From Publishers Weekly
Among the most celebrated creatures on earth are the 120 species of water-dwelling mammals catalogued in this handsome and informative field guide, the latest in the National Audubon Society's family of nature publications. Photographs, drawings and paintings combine with maps, charts and essays to provide not only data but also insight into the behavior of these highly evolved and specialized animals. The book is sensibly arranged and easy to navigate, whether the reader is in an easy chair or on the open water. The introduction provides a general guide to marine mammals: their habitat, behavior, reproduction, diet and conservation status. The individual articles are packed with facts about each species and the best ways to find and identify them in the wild. The book is organized according to the four... |
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Mooseltoe |
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| Author: |
Margie Palatini, Henry Cole |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover
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| ISBN: |
0786805676 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks |
Book Review
This charming verse story, told in a singsong rhythm, stars a moose who is determined that his family's Christmas will be "perfectly perfect." Moose "shopped till he dropped. Check," and "baked tons of tins of cookies. Check,"--but in his haste he completely forgets to buy a Christmas tree. After a long, fruitless search in the snow on Christmas Eve, he finally has to do the heroic thing: stand in a corner and become the tree himself. The crayon illustrations by Henry Cole make much of Moose's endless handlebar "moostache." The rhymes may be rather forced for some tastes--"The kids tried to make the best of it. They said 'Oh so who needs a tree?' But Moose could plainly see they were short on the glee." But perhaps that's all just part of the amoosement value. (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr
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A Bargain for Frances |
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| Author: |
Russell Hoban |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback |
| ISBN: |
006444001X |
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Usually ships within 24 hours. |
Book Description
Frances and Thelma are friends -- most of the time Thelma always seems to get Frances into trouble. When she tricks Frances into buying her tea set, it's the last straw. Can Frances show her that it's better to lose a bargain than lose a friend?
Card catalog description
Thelma usually outsmarts Frances until Frances decides to teach her a lesson about friendship.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Santa Mouse |
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| Author: |
Michael Brown |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Library Binding |
| ISBN: |
0760703558 |
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Zamba |
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| Author: |
Ralph D. Helfer |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover |
| ISBN: |
0060761326 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships within 24 hours. |
From Publishers Weekly
Legendary Hollywood animal trainer and behaviorist Helfer captures an incredible story of love between man and lion that displays all the qualities that made his previous book, Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived, so moving. Here Helfer is involved with the subject, which adds emotional depth to a lifelong adventure. Starting with his somewhat brutal childhood on Chicago's South Side, the author deftly develops his story of the spiritual harmony he finds in nature and the violence he sees in the film industry's use of animals. His unique bond with a lion cub he names Zamba grows into a lifetime relationship that includes countless guest stints in movies and television shows, and leads to Helfer's development of a system of animal training "based on love, not fear," called "affection... |
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CRC Handbook of Marine Mammal Medicine, Second Edition |
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| Author: |
Leslie A. Dierauf |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover
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| ISBN: |
0849308399 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships in 24 hours |
Review
"The book is very complete and covers a very wide range of topics. … This is a very valuable book, and every facility keeping marine mammals should have this book in their library. With the information in this book, the lives of animals can be saved, and reproduction and the well-being of animals can be improved. … Congratulations to all the authors and the editors of this book for achieving such an impressive and useful handbook!" - Aquatic Mammals, 2004 "More than 10 years after the publication of the first edition, comes the new and greatly improved edition of a very helpful book. This new edition should be standard reading for anyone involved in marine mammals to include keepers, curators, veterinarians, and trainers... The editors are to be commended for an excellent job... the new edition of this book will... |
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Modoc : The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived |
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| Author: |
Ralph Helfer |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Paperback
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| ISBN: |
0060929510 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships in 24 hours |
Book Review
Modoc is the joint biography of a man and an elephant born in a small German circus town on the same day in 1896. Bram was the son of an elephant trainer, Modoc the daughter of his prize performer. The boy and animal grew up devoted to each other. When the Wunderzircus was sold to an American, with no provision to take along the human staff, Bram stowed away on the ship to prevent being separated from his beloved Modoc. A shipwreck off the Indian coast and a sojourn with a maharajah were only the beginning of the pair's incredible adventures. They battled bandits, armed revolutionaries, cruel animal trainers, and greedy circus owners in their quest to stay together. They triumphed against the odds and thrilled American circus audiences with Modoc's dazzling solo performances, only to be torn apart with brutal suddenness,... |
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A Pocket Full of Kisses |
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| Author: |
Audrey Penn |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover
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| ISBN: |
0878688943 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships in 24 hours |
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1 - A sequel to Penn's The Kissing Hand (CWLA, 1993). A young raccoon pleads with his mother to "return" his baby brother due to typical sibling offenses. When Chester sees her give little Ronny a "Kissing Hand" (a kiss in the middle of his open palm), the waterworks begin. Of course, Mrs. Raccoon reassures her older son of his continuing importance to her, adding a bonus Kissing Hand for being a big brother. The animals' emotions are clearly expressed in the narrative. Gibson's crisp, realistic paintings are colorful and depict the scenery and activity of the meadow. Although this book is more appealing than the first work, standbys like Ann Herbert Scott's On Mother's Lap (Clarion, 1992) or Kady MacDonald Denton's Would They Love a Lion? (Larousse, 1998) are still better choices. - Gay Lynn... |
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The Lady and the Panda : The True Adventures of the First American Explorer to Bring Back China's Most Exotic Animal |
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| Author: |
Vicki Croke |
Book Review
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| Format: |
Hardcover
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| ISBN: |
0375507833 |
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| Availability: |
Usually ships in 24 hours |
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. During the Great Depression, inexpensive entertainment could be had at any city zoo. The exploits of the utterly macho men who bagged the beasts also made good adventure-film fodder. Yet one of the most famous animals ever brought to America—the giant panda—was captured by a woman, Ruth Harkness. Vicki Constantine Croke, the "Animal Beat" columnist for the Boston Globe, became fascinated by bohemian socialite Harkness, who was left alone and in difficult financial straits in 1936 after her husband died trying to bring a giant panda back from China. Instead of mourning, Harkness took on the mission. Arriving in Hong Kong with "a whiskey soda in one hand and a Chesterfield in the other," she soon found herself up against ruthless competitors, bandits, foul weather and warfare.... |
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