Mammals Books

this book is about the canadian wilderness. lawrence represents the last of a dying breed of writers who are not afraid to show emotion in the midst of scientific observation. in this book you will learn the biology of the beaver, but from the perspective of a human being--a storyteller. and yet lawrence maintains a factual distance which gives this book the weight of a historical document, a picture of backcountry of ontario circa 1950 (where the story takes place) that will endure and inspire.

This has been one of my five year olds favourite books -- for the last two years!

Not really a young childrens book, but the appeal of the subject makes it attractive to all ages. Defintely a book to have and revisit.

The book is a touching story about a man who saves a baby beaver and nurses it until maturity. The author does not try to impress you with lingo rather you get the impression that he is just down to earth . If you love beavers this is a wonderful book . P.S,. Really good for young readers.

R. D. Lawrence as always gives a heart rendering account of his travels and times in the wild. A chance adoption of a wild beaver kit in the wild and how this wild animal can show love to a person who saved him. Lots of laughs and good insight into the wild nature here in Canada.

At 2 1/2 years old, my daughter loved the library hardback so much, I bought it for her. Now my son of 20 months loves to hear it every night. I believe the bold primary colors really appeal to toddlers, and the pictures are not too busy as in some children's books. The opposites are educational and the ending endearing.

My 3 year old daughter (who is a big panda fan!)loves this book. The illustrations are beautiful - so bright and vivid. It teaches about opposites, how Panda Big and Panda Small are different. But in the end they have something important in common. I definitely recommend this one!!

I really like the way this book reads. My daughter loves it. We read this book often and we talk about the other animals in the book, what the differences are in the Big Panda and the Little Panda and how we are similar to them. The illustrations are also wonderful! I think any active mind would get a kick out of this book.

This book has very colorful illustrations and delightfully teaches toddlers about opposites. My daughter loves to hear it over and over.

If you are looking for cute pictures of Tain Shan's first months, here you find them. Simply the cutest pictures ever!

This is definitely the book for those of us who spent the last year staring at "0026 HOLD" on our screens and watching Tai Shan and Mei Xiang but I am sure adults and children who like pandas will also love it. Like many people, I spent several hours every day watching Panda Cam from the first weeks when Mei Xiang cradled Tai Shan 24/7, to his early morning forays in Exhibit 3 last fall, to his adventures in the great outdoors and the surprise discovery that panda cubs routinely climb trees and nap in them for hours at a time.

One of my favorite Panda Cam moments came late one night in mid-January when Tai Shan slipped headfirst between his mother and one of the walls of the dry pond in Exhibit 2 and then couldn't get back up -- all you saw were his little back feet and legs waving in the air. After a few minutes of this Mei Xiang obligingly moved over so he could free himself.

Back to the book: the photographs are wonderful and there are many here that have never appeared at the website (nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/). The book is arranged with a photograph on the left accompanied by, in most cases, sections of diary entries from the past year. I really enjoyed reading these again but I do wish they had included a date with each entry so you have an idea of how old Tai Shan is in each picture. I also liked that they included information on the web campaign to name the baby bear "Butterstick" and to promote "Stickmas" to celebrate his birthday every year but I was disappointed they didn't attribute this to Wonkette where it originated. And I wished they had included a picture of Tai Shan just after he was born, back when he was still in his "Butterstick" phase.

One really cool thing about the book is that there is a small photograph of Tai Shan on the bottom corner of each right-hand page so you can use it as a "flipbook" -- if you hold the book so that you flip very fast through the pages back to front, you will see a little animated Tai Shan doing somersaults!

PS: Mei Xiang and Tai Shan are on the cover of the July 2006 "National Geographic" which features an article about them and the pandas at the Wolong Nature Reserve's Giant Panda Research Center in Chengdu China. (rissa@panix.com)

This is a wonderful book for those people to get to see the first seven months of Tai Shan's life as it was actually recorded on the National Zoo Panda Cam. Tai Shan, whose name means "peaceful mountain" in Chinese is a must see attraction for people when they come to Washington

This book is a good collection of photos of the first year of the new panda cub at the Washington Zoo. It is especially useful for those interested in pandas who have not seen them and want to get a sense of the behaviors and expressions of a young panda cub.

Pippa's First Summer by Catherine Badgley is an informative, educational and interesting story about the little-known and less-understood animal: bats. I found myself a bit squeamish when I first picked up the book since I had all the usual beliefs about bats. But as I began reading and learning, I came to really feel for and actually like these little animals.

Pippa was born in the early summer along with her brother Click. Their home was in the rafters of a big old red barn where they lived with a colony of thirteen other bats. The reader follows Pippa as she first opens her eyes, learns to eat, fly, communicate, care for herself and through the occasional adventure she and her brother Click experience.

Pippa's adventure with the cat is scary for Pippa. But it is the contact with humans that proves disastrous for Click. That made me sad but I understood that bad things can and do happen to little animals.

Pippa's First Summer is a wonderful and enjoyable way for children to learn about bats. It's written in such a warm and inviting way that they just might want other books that are exciting and interesting but also inform.

Armchair Interviews says: Pippa's First Summer is a great gift for that special child who is exploring the world and its inhabitants.

My eight year old daughter was rivoted by the story of Pippa as we read it aloud. She asks questions about how bats live that shows she is thinking like a bat. It's clear that she will relate to bats differently after reading this book. The author does a great job of writing from a bat's point of view and making the story both compelling and exciting.

Being an elementary children's librarian, I read lots of intermediate fiction and Pippa's First Summer is a wonderfully realistic acount of what might happen in the life of a big brown bat. It is written in an engaging manner and is accessible to those middle level readers who love nature and animal stories. The close-calls Pippa encounters with humans and other animals are emblamatic of that fragile balance between species. The notes about bats at the end of the book and the references for further reading whet the appetite for more. Catherine Badgley's writing reflects her appreciation for the animal world and Bonnie Miljour's accompanying illustrations will surely make Pippa a beloved and captivating read for many.

This story details the first summer in the life of the bat Pippa, and clearly the author did extensive research to make it reflect the actual life history of a Big Brown Bat. I love the fact that the author wrote the story with a lovable main character whose adventures make the reader sigh with relief when no harm comes. I also like that she didn't sugar-coat the real life of bats; there's tragedy in there too. This would be a fantastic story for kids who are interested in natural history; it is both educational and engaging. To top it off, the illustrations are absolutely fantastic!

This is probably one of the best book available on these amazing, intelligent, beautiful creatures. Don't believe most of what you read or hear about bears because they are not the killers that people have made them out to be. The reviewer "Howard Tuttleman' is an idiot! How you coud claim to know anything about these amazing creatures and then make a comment about the weapons and tools that it would take to bag one is beyond me. Just read "Polar Bears: Living with the White Bear" to better understand how peaceful and safe these animals are. Howard I wish someone would 'bag' you and I get so tired of stupid people like you even opening their ignorant mouth. I've spent alot of time observing brown bears and researching them so I have to deal with all the hype and myth surrounding brown bears as well. I've stood feet away from numerous brown bears and have never had a problem. It's all about knowing how to talk "bear". It also helps if you're actually more intelligent than the bear and as people like Howard have proven that isn't very common these days. Howard go back in your cave and keep you uneducated opinions to yourself. Stop the agressive ignorance!

This is a truly outstanding book. It is extremely well written and the photography is world class. The reader will come away with a broad outline and understanding of this magnificent animal.

This book is truly fabtastic, a recommended read to anyone. Just pick open the pages and read, nothing complicated with it as it is written extremely well.

Enjoy.

I really enjoyed this book. I originally bought it for research on a project but i was soon reading it for my own enjoyment. Polar bears are my favorite animal and this book gave me some amazing information and beautiful pictures. I would definately recommend this book to anyone.

I'm not even a student & haven't been for decades, but I sat down to read this text and really didn't want to put it down! My family had to make their own dinners the night it appeared on the front step.
It covers everything, just everything you always wanted to know about any primate on the planet: how we are all constructed and why. Most of the illustrations are line-drawings in my edition, but there are lots and lots of them. You cannot go wrong with this book.

Anyone who teaches an intro to primates course will wish to assign this book to their students. There are a variety of textbooks on the subject available, and some of them are excellent. Fleagle's volume, however, is the only one that provides such a complete review of the fossil record and anatomical variation, as well as behavioral variation. It is concise, thorough, and complete, and the best of the choices available to an instructor in this subject.

Can you study physical anthropology and not have this book? Probably not. If it hasn't been assigned to you as part of your education and you are serious about physical anthropology, you should buy this book right now. This book outlines the living primates as well as the extinct species in an easy to understand, easy to learn format. It has all the information you could ever need to know about living and extinct primates.

During college, I used this book extensively to gather initial information on primates. This book covers anywhere from the evolutionary relationship of primates, to the current dentition of any primate species. The book does an excellent job of cataloging primate species to be easily referenced.

We are very selective about the books we purchase for our kids. If I'm going to be reading a book over and over, it has to be entertaining. This one made the cut.

My 2 year old loves this book as well as I. Fun to read over and over again.

Howard Fine illustrates an engaging and zany story of a family of raccoons by Nancy Shaw. The raccon family prowl the neighborhood making a ruckus until they find just the right dinner dish. The whimsical drawings and trash can antics of the raccoons will delight a wide audience and Raccoon Tune is a very highly recommended pick.

Being a fan of "Sheep In A Jeep" and all its sequels, I waited impatiently for "Raccoon Tune". It was well worth the wait! I read this one often as a bedtime story and my children (aged 10 and 6) are giggling every time. Of course Mom is right there in the thick of it too! The illustrations really make this book! I'll use this one at the Nature Center where I work with my Preschool Storytime crowd - they'll love it!

Riding the Tiger is a fine conservation book. It gets into the technical part of conservation which few see. If you are interested in becoming a zoologist this book is a must.

This book is excellent for biological conservationists. It is written in the language of science and may be slightly difficult for the non-scientist to comprehend. Otherwise, it was a great book, and I would recommend it for everyone.

If you want to explore the present state of knowledge about tigers in the wild and their real prospects for survival, this is the best publication available. It's attractively illustrated with photos of wild tigers, current range maps, and useful treatments of their history, habitat, populations, prey relations, conflicts with people, and conservation status in various parts of their range. The book's chapters are well organized and written by well informed scientists.

I couldn't put the book down and have only been surprised that it has received so little publicity beyond the professional ranks of conservation biologists. It's useful also for those considering a visit to areas where tigers still occur.

An excellent and thorough composition of research of the tiger and its conservation. A must have for ecologists or wildlife biologists interested in studying or working with the big cats. Very informative, written with a lot of data, statistics, maps and references - most informative for those with a scientific mind. Highly recommended.

this is the definitive book on cryptozoology, although short in length. it is very informative and the author has shown a rare intellect and avoidance of sensationalism; if you're looking for bigfoot or loch ness monster, look elsewhere. this book belongs in the science section of a bookstore, not new age. very critically reasoned and an important work. i wish it was longer and more lavishly illustrated. must buy

Bille does the cryptozoological world a favor by this book which updates recent discoveries, losses, and new leads on unknown and undiscovered animals. It could be argued that, with the amazing discoveries coming out of the Viet Nam jungles, a book of this sort is necessary on a yearly basis, just to keep up! The author does not pursue the "spectacular" cryptids, such as sasquatch or lake monsters, but focuses instead on the very real small primates, fishes and reptiles that make up our world. If I have one complaint, it would be that the author owes us a book on the spectacular ones now

Matthew A. Billie has written a wonderful book, for anyone fascinated with the continual search for the rare and unclassified in the Animal Kingdom. There are so many possibilities of the maybe still out there, that there is hope for even the most endangered. And this book brings out so many times, the times we thought we had lost a species, only to rediscover them in some hidden locale. And I like that.

Broken into three parts, we first are wowed with the many recent discoveries, even late into the 20th Century. Recent Discoveries.

Then we are enlightened about the thought-to-be-extinct, but rediscovered. Presumed Extinct.

And lastly, we enter into the world of the unknown. At least to the non-locals, for to many of the natives, they are just another species they are very aware of. The Mystery Animals.

Mr. Billie has done his research well, and shows great knowledge of the animal kingdom. Hopefully, more works in this area will follow from this author.

There are more things in heaven and earth... and, remarkably, Matt Bille has tracked a lot of them down. Furred, hooved, beaked and feathered Bille has assembled a parade of lost, found, forgotten and never suspected creatures. Exhaustively researched, well organized and extremely well written this book ends with a fascinating excursion into the what ifs of the animal kingdom. Anyone who has doubts about the importance of doing our utmost to protect the environment and by extension the diversity of the natural world should be offered this book as proof of the value of preserving both.

A terrific book for all types of nature-loving readers. If you like pictures, they're here. If you want the best information available about African Wild Dogs and efforts to save them, it's definitely here. All people who are fascinated by wild animals will find this book to be a treasure. The photography is beautiful...It's the next best thing to being there. Leave this book on your coffee table and I guarantee that every guest will pick it up.

These animals truly are in trouble. McNutt does a good job explaining exactly why these dogs are endangered (or should be classified as such).

Like most books published under Smithsonian, this one is a keeper.

This is an excellent treatment of the ecology, behavior and endangered status of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). For the past several years, the authors have studied African wild dogs in one of their last remaining strongholds, the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

The well-written text and superb photography provide important insight into the natural history and the current plight of African wild dogs. This species has been maligned and persecuted by humans, partly because of unfortunate myths about them. The authors address and dispel these myths, they examine the causes of the drastic decline in African wild dog numbers, and they discuss possible approaches to save this endangered species.

Are you fascinated by wolves? Do you dream of going on safari in Africa? If you answer yes to either question then this book will be of interest to you.

I had the good luck to see a pack of 10 wild dogs while on safari in Botswana in September of 1998. Being a wolf enthusiast, I was very interested in the similarities and differences between the American grey wolf and the African wild dog. This book was in the library of each safari camp I stayed in so I had the pleasure of studying about the wild dogs while in their native habitat. As you'll learn from this book, wild dogs are extremely social, even more so than grey wolves, and very efficient, successful predators.

The photographs in this book are fantastic and the text is well written, well organized, and aimed at the general public rather than the scientific community.

The author continues his African wild dog research in Botswana. The fate of these fascinating predators is very precarious due to their small population and the relentless persecution by people, similar to that experienced by the grey wolf in America earlier this century.

Hi, I'm an OAC biology student (that's grade 13 in Ontario) who is doing my ISP on African wild dogs. This is the best book I have ever found on wild dogs and probably the best ever written. I could not believe my luck when I found it. It is an excellent, coffee-table-type book with lots of beautiful pictures that you would like even if you were not specially interested in wild dogs. You will be surprised at how similar the dogs look in the pictures to your own dog.