A young boy runs away from home to rescue an abused baby dragon held captive to serve as a free twenty-four hour, seven-days-a-week ferry for the lazy wild animals living on Wild Island.

In 1826, a 12-foot giraffe, captured in the Sudan, shipped down the Nile, carried across the Mediterranean in a ship's hold, was not walking across France. A figt from the most powerful man in Africa, the giraffe would become an object of adoration in France. In this compelling, beautifully rendered book, Michale Allin looks beyond the fairy tale to reveal the complex web of politics, culture, religion, and greed that fueled the phonomenon of the...

Nine short stories, which must always be told "just so," in order that the sleepy child listening will not have to put back missing sentences. The stories are about animals, and many explain possible origins of their features, as How the Leopard Got His Spots.

Called out by the magic of warm spring sunshine, shy, timid Mole has left his underground home and become friends with the adventurous Water Rat. Together the two companions explore Rat's beloved river, brave the terrors of the Wild Wood, and - most difficult of all - try to rescue foolish Mr. Toad from the constant stream of troubles invited by his reckless, bragging ways. Since its publication in 1908, The Wind in the Willows has been a classic...

An animal scientist draws on her experience as an autistic to identify commonalities between animals and autistics, offering insight into how animals process sensory information and how they often possess unrecognized savant-level talents.

"When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants. As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the...

Tells the true story of the unique human-animal friendship between Harry Goodridge and Andre, the harbor seal who was as comfortable in Goodridge's home as he was in Penobscot Bay. Andre swims with Harry and rides happily in the back seat of Harry's car. He quickly picked up tricks-perhaps the first time a wild animal has been trained in a free-release situation. He became Rockport, Maine's honorary harbormaster and was ranked "second only to Andrew...

For generations, the animals of the African plains have followed a single rule: only kill to survive. But when an unthinkable act of betrayal shatters the peace, the fragile balance between predators and prey will rest in the paws of three unlikely heroes.

Lucie visits the laundry of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a hedgehog, and finds her lost handkerchiefs.

"The enthralling new novel from the acclaimed author of Fallen Land, The River of Kings, and Gods of Howl Mountain Vietnam veteran, retired racehorse jockey, and keeper of secrets, Anse Caulfield rescues exotic big cats, elephants, and other creatures for Little Eden, a wildlife sanctuary near the abandoned ruins of a failed development on the Georgia coast. But when Anse's prized lion escapes and is killed, he becomes obsessed with replacing her-even...