Pigs Books

This book teaches children and adults alike about javelinas (and yes, most people think that they are a variety of wild pig - nope, they are "peccaries.") As a resident of Arizona, we actually encounter javelinas from time to time and these encounters are all the more interesting now that we have learned so much from this wonderful book! My children (4 and 6) adore this book and love shouting out the oft repeated refrain: "Don't call me pig!"

In addition to the fun, rhyming text, the book features marvelous and funny illustrations of the javelinas. Both the text and the illustrations describe their physical characteristics and their life in a manner that is appealing even to young children. For adults who want the facts, there are two pages at the end of the book that discuss javelinas in a more narrative manner.

This book should appeal to any child who is curious about wildlife, or the southwestern United States. It would be a great book for teachers too. My kids learned alot, and so did I!

I bought this book for each of my grandchildren, and they all adored it. Storad wrote a wonderful story for children of all ages that is enhanced by beautiful illustrations. What a joy to be able to find a book that is both entertaining and educational!

What a joy to read this book to my kids! It was not only fun to read this rhyming story, it was educational, too. The illustrations are fabulous. My two young boys asked lots of questions while we read, which just means they were really interested in this animal called a javelina--not a pig! After reading this book, we also obtained "Lizards for Lunch" by the same author and enjoyed it just as much. Now, as we travel across the desert periodically, my kids will be on the lookout for some of the animals they've seen in these books.

My children recite the catch phrase from this humorous, yet educational look at Javelinas for hours after we read the book. I truly admire Storad's ability to make kids laugh and teach them at the same time.

Very useful if you're planning on getting into Environmental Anthropology (because there are so many of us) to help understand the different areas available to study. Good intro book

This book is a short introduction to current topics in environmental anthropology, both at theoretical and practical levels. The author defines environmental anthropology as the use of anthropology's methods and theories that contribute to the understanding of local or global environmental problems. In a more general sense, the author refers to environmental anthropology as the involvement of anthropologists in environmental issues, with a variety of methods, theories, and specialized research interests. Under this umbrella are included the approaches known as ecological anthropology, evolutionary ecology, historical ecology, political ecology, ethnoecology, and others.

This book covers a wide variety of selected topics, including the relationship of the technology used in production to the environment in which it is used, the way how societies respond to changes in their environment and their culture core, the role of religious rituals in the regulation of the ecosystem pressures by local groups, the study of traditional ecological knowledge, the hunting practices of indigenous peoples in the rainforest, the agricultural pressures on the environment in complex societies, the effects of land and water pollution on local populations as a result of mining activities, the assessment of risks associated with natural disasters, the relationship between population growth and environmental degradation, the association between biodiversity, medicinal plants and human health, issues in common property regimes and the increase of forest fires, the analysis of carrying capacity and the growth of environmental movements, among many other topics.

The author also examines in a brief way the ideas of key authors who have made the most important contributions to environmental anthropology, including Fredrik Barth, Harold Conklin, Arturo Escobar, Clifford Geertz, Emilio Moran, Robert Netting, Darrell Posey, Roy Rappaport, Marshall Sahlins, Julian Steward, Eric Wolf, among many other representative authors. The book somehow follows a historical path, covering the period between 1940's until 2000. However, the author frequently includes references from earlier periods and is not limited by the constraints of the particular period at hand when trying to illustrate a topic.

From my perspective, the book is an especially important source of knowledge for students that are not familiar with the issues that are the subject of environmental anthropology, and also for students who have become acquainted with these issues in a fragmentary way. By providing a general overview of the different topics covered in this area of concentration, it opens up and stimulates the reader's desire for further exploration. It provides a general framework to understand the wide array of areas covered in environmental anthropology, ranging from the contributions of classical author's to contemporary global problems.

This book is also a very important source of knowledge for students from different disciplines who wish to understand current environmental problems from an anthropological perspective. An outstanding factor is that it is written in a simple language, without assuming that readers are already familiar with the concepts and ideas common in anthropology. It starts explaining what anthropology is and how it is organized, and where environmental anthropology is located in relation to the anthropological subdisciplines and related areas of concentration. From that point, it moves forward in a smooth way, without creating unnecessary complications for the readers, even when dealing with complex issues like the formula to understand the relationship between population growth and environmental impacts, or the comparison between the carrying capacity of lands under different systems of food production.

An important limiting factor identified in the book is that, considering the introductory nature of its contents, it does not provide adequate orientation for further exploration of the topics, except for the references section. A personal recommendation is that subsequent editions could include this sort of information, including calls to bibliographic sources that cover with more detail the specific topics considered, links to Websites where to obtain more detailed information, and brief descriptions of other introductory books to environmental anthropology, mentioning their general orientations and levels of detail provided.

At a personal level, this book provided me with very useful insights to understand environmental anthropology from a holistic perspective. Through the analysis of the different issues considered, I become familiar with the differences and similarities across topics, creating an enriched perspective on a wide range of environmental problems. Of particular interest for me were the sections related to the relationship between population and the environment, the social impacts of environmental pollution as a result of mining activities, the use of concepts drawn from disciplines like ecology, demography, and biology, integrated in the illustration of the topics considered, among other topics of interest.

The way the author presented the information was also a very important factor for me. The presentation of the topics based on the environmental topics provides not only clear information that facilitates the understanding of environmental problems, but also provides a context for a better understanding with the authors' ideas and methodological insights. This topic-centered approach resulted in a very illustrative way, which I found more useful than chronological versions of different authors, or the theoretical paradigms they are associated with, which are the main orientations in traditional introductory books in anthropology.

Among other limitations identified, one important issue is related to the section about threats to biodiversity. The book includes only half a page on this issue. Considering their relevance for the current practice of environmental anthropology in applied settings, it results clearly insufficient. A personal recommendation is to enlarge this section considerably. Another limitation identified is that some concepts mentioned in the book lack a proper explanation of their meaning, like in the case of cultural core, ecological footprint, recycling, or sustainability, which have different meanings according to the different contexts in which they are employed. The provision of a glossary as an appendix is not very useful if there are not references in the text that call for a review of their meaning at a different part of the book. A recommendation for improvement is to include the references for the definition of controversial terms embedded in the body of the text to facilitate their understanding.

This is a useful book for those planning on getting into Environmental Anthropology (because there are so many of us). Gives a good introduction on what Env. Anth is all about

I have twice used Townsend's book in a mixed graduate/undergraduate class on cultural ecology and found it quite satisfactory. The style and vocabulary are accessible to anyone with a high school education. The author presents the basic concepts of human and environmental ecology in a brief and comprehensible way. The book could be of use in either a general introductory course, I specialized class like mine, or an area class on the South Pacific. I recommend it highly.

This was a great book. The rhyme had perfect rhythm, the story was funny and the kids were totally engaged. I'm sure we'll be reading this book a lot in the future.

I purchased this book for my 4 1/2 year old grand daughter who has an entire library of fantastic books. This is by far one of her and my all time favorites. The illustration is adorable and the story is endearing. The book immediately makes you feel cozy and by the end you feel thankful for kind hearts. Every time we come to the last page my little grand daughter says "Let's read it again." And often we do. I highly recommend this book for ages 2 1/2 to 92 1/2!

Estelle takes a bubble bath and is joined by a shivering mouse who is in for a big surprise--a naked Estelle covered in bubbles!

Readers are in for a treat with this rollicking, rhyming book! Amusing physical comedy, perfect rhyme and some bare-bottom humor will leave kids laughing and begging for more.

Mary Newell DePalma's soft, yet detailed, illustrations are the ideal match for this magnificent mouse tale!

Estelle is in her warm cozy house relaxing in the tub. Outside is a cold mouse who just wants to get warm! The mouse slides inside the house and makes his way to the bubble bath. Imagine the surprise in Estelle's eyes when she sees the mouse on the edge of her tub. Follow Estelle as she tries to get away from the mouse!
The story had a neat turn of events. As Estelle is chasing the mouse he falls into the tub. He can't swim and Estelle saves his life. They then become friends!


It would be great for leading discussions on tub safety and friendship.

I keep this Field Guide to Pigs in my living room and have had many positive comments. It's a great book to sit down and read on a rainy day or to browse through from time to time at your leisure. I am not particular to pigs, however it was given as a gift. I recommend to anyone who likes pigs or wants an interesting read for yourself and guests!

This book is delightful...for those of us who are infatuated with these bristly critters, it gives all the loose-end info that the other books don't. From tail-curling descriptions to grunt analysis, this book brings home the bacon. It included pig folk sayings, poems, pig songs, pig superstitions.. and the piggy illustrations were extremely detailed and captivating, if you adore porkers! It's a fun book to page through, and is chock full of obscure piggy facts that you would never find anywhere else, such as pig trails of past times, or the four varieties of spam. I am sure that any pig lover would be perusing through it as fast as I did.

This book is absolutely delightful! Few of us are aware how rich and varied our farm yard animal's history is. This is a great book for adults and kids alike. It is full of facts and also has small fun tidbits of "useless" (if there is such a thing)information that tickles your funny bone.

This is a book that goes hog-wild with descriptions of twenty-four varieties of domesticated pig and thirteen of their wild relatives. It is larded with many interesting and important facts about the development of today's common breeds. Although the author does ham it up with some of his observations, he has succeeded in fashioning a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

This is the summer before second grade for my son and Fluffy books are perfect to keep him reading throughout the summer. Fluffy is a guinea pig who lives in a classroom. He is very funny and witty. Fluffy will keep your child laughing and interested.

I love all the Fluffy books! Fluffy figured out that the groundhog was nice.

Fluffy is a guinea pig who spends his days in an elementary classroom. As part of their lesson about groundhogs and Groundhog Day, the children bring three additional guinea pigs to school to stage a GroundPIG Day race. Fluffy breaks away from the pack and darts into a hole that turns out to be a real-life groundhog burrow. There the groundhog admits that he's shy and doesn't want to face the media. Fluffy, our hero, takes his place. His family at home is later surprised to see Fluffy on TV that night, not seeing his shadow.

This is a fun Level Three book for 1st and 2nd graders. The illustrations are comical, and the storyline is amusing and discussion-provoking.

I thought it was funny when Fluffy pretended to be the ground hog. Easy to read. I like the worm on the cover. I think its a good book.

This is a great book!! Kids that are 5, 4, will love this book. I am 10 and i still love this book, all the fluffy books are great.If you like animals and funny thing you will love this book!I whish i could read it right now! fluffy is cool and silly! So if you like animals u would love fluffy!So buy it!!By Melanie

My 7 year old loves these books. They are funny, imaginative, and interesting to read. Cute illustrations too!

This is one of my 5-year-old's first "read all by myself books", and judging from the laughs and re-reads, it was a hit. I thought it was written at the appropriate "silly" level, and was also challenging.

My 6 year old absolutely loves Fluffy. Not only are the books informative and use the same characters (so that she feels 'familiar' with each different Fluffy book) but Fluffy himself even makes me laugh! He is forthwright and cool! We always have to read at least one Fluffy every night.

This is a beautiful picture book with charming, expressive illustrations filled with details. It tells the tale of a little mouse whose village is at the edge of a great forest. He is very frightened of the forest and imagines that all kinds of dangers are concealed there. One night he gets tired of being afraid and faces his fear and discovers great beauty. This story is told in the first person and uses some words that might be difficult for little ones like looming, devoured, murmuring, headlong, pillars (to describe trees). However, using uncommon words helps to expand a young one's vocabulary so that in itself is not really a problem just an observation. I think what might make this book unappealing to little ones is that it takes place deep within the mouse. He reflects on his fears in a mature way, decides to deal with those fears, goes off to the forest alone still grappling with the fears, the fear reaches a crescendo then in the majesty of the forest he contemplates his place in the Universe and finds tranquility. The text is poetical and I was moved by this peacefully thoughtful book but I think the concepts are too much on the inner plane to interest a child. This would actually make a great gift for a teen going off to college or moving away for the first time, or for a friend embarking on a new career, but it's too deep for little children to enjoy on their own. A parent will really have to explain and dialogue a lot about this book and in that case they might as well dialogue in their own words about facing fears and then choose a fun story for their children.

The Forest is a superbly presented, full color picturebook about a brave young mouse who dares to leave his safe, comfortable home to explore the surrounding forest. Within, he finds grandeur and natural beauty splendidly captured in the heartfelt and wondrous artwork. Written and illustrated by Claire A. Nivola, The Forest is quite strongly recommended as a most enchanting and delightful storybook for young readers.

There are really very few picture books each year that are truly wonderful, but I think this is one of them. "The Forest" is in many ways a subtle and quiet book, but its simple plot is one that kids can easily relate to. Told in a first-person narrative, the book tells of a mouse living in a little town who is afraid of the forest. One day he decides to face his fear, and so leaving the cosy home and town, he ventures towards the looming woods. When at last he enters them, he is scared stiff but soon realizes that he really had little to fear except fear itself. The message is thus a very positive one about facing our imaginary fears. Adults as well as children will appreciate the beautiful, detailed, moody paintings that illustrate the story; they show just enough menace to make mouse's fears seem real, but not so much that they are actually scary. The pacing of the story is excellent. Simply put, this book does everything it sets out to do very well.

"I had always been afraid of the forest, that dark and unknown place at the farthest edge of my little world..." So begins Claire Nivola's eloquent little story of a mouse who conquers his fear, leaves the safety of his home and village, and discovers the wonders of the beautiful world around him. Mouse bravely sets out one morning on the adventure of a lifetime, walking down the country road on his long journey to the forest. "I stepped inside the forest, between two pillar trees that stood like a gateway." His heart pounded, and the unfamiliar sounds terrified him. Running for cover, the little mouse tripped and fell. "When I opened my eyes, my nose was deep in moss, a forest of tiny trees, as soft as feathers. The sunlight was raining down through the leaves and warming my back. A sweet breeze stirred my fur." The forest wasn't really frightening, just new and unknown..... Ms Nivola's engaging text is joyous and lyrical, and complemented by her elegant and detailed illustrations. Together word and art paint a captivating portrait that's heartwarming, gentle, and reassuring. Perfect for cuddling up and reading aloud, The Forest makes a soothing and cozy bedtime story that's just right for youngsters 3-7. "I listened. All around me a million leaves whispered and rustled gently. I rolled over and, for the first time, looked up. High above, I saw the sky. The sky was bigger than the forest, bigger even than my fear had been, bigger than everything. I lay there-a speck in this enormous beauty-until the light began to fade..."

This is a calendar I will enjoy everyday, and I knew I would when I ordered it. Fra Angelio is a featured artist of The Met this year, but they were out of the calendars when I ordered, so I was very happy to find that Amazon had it. The pictures selected for this calendar are beautiful, and provide daily inspiration, though painted by this Italian artist about 800 years ago.

This is much more than a coffee table book because of the extensive coverage of the artist: his life, his contemporaties, influences on his style and his influence on the styles of others. The lavish illustrations in glorious color emphasize the other-worldliness of the subject matter.

This beautiful book, published in conjunction with the first major exhibition of Fra Angelico's work since the cinquecentenary exhibition of 1955 in Florence, will feature more than seventy paintings, drawings, and manuscript illuminations covering all periods of the artist's career, from round 1410 to 1455. Also included will be fifty selected works by his assistants and losest followers.

Fra Angelico ("the angelic friar"; ca. 1390/95-1455) was one of Renaissance Florence's leading painters. In addition to his celebrated altarpieces and frescos in Florence, Fiesole, Cortona, Perugia, and Rome, Fra Angelico also completed many masterpieces on a small scale. His predella panels, the small narrative scenes included beneath large altarpieces, are among the most innovative creations in fifteenth century Florence, while his images of the Virgin and Child still retain the inspirational immediacy and presence that first secured the artist's reputation as the premier painter of his age.

Research undertaken in the last fifty years now allows scholars to reconstruct a more historically reliable biography of Fra Angelico that goes beyond the legends and traditions to establish his position not only as one of the greatest masters of the fifteenth century, but also as one of the most intellectually accomplished painters who ever lived.

This book is an up-to-date, and comprehensive, look at the sublime works of one of Renaissance Italy's greatest masters.

FRA ANGELICO may be a museum catalogue for the current exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, but it is also one of the more impressive historical documents on this important painter and his influence on the world of art in the library today. The book is a masterwork of scholarship and visual examples of this 15th Century artist.

Words fail in describing the degree of integrity of scholarship of the contributors. Under the curatorial guidance of Laurence Kanter the museum has gathered seventy-odd paintings, drawings and illuminations from books by Fra Angelico, and then to add to the dimension of the great master's influence, they have added some fifty works by his students and disciples. While Fra Angelico shines in his extraordinary sense of detail and representational art in a period when art was flattened decor and just entering the blossoming of the Renaissance, the works included by his pupils are quite staggeringly beautiful. Some would say comparison to the master is unfair: history offers another vantage, that being the concept that the truly great teachers enlighten their pupils to exceed the teacher's creations!

While the visual components of this fine book are incomparable, the various written sections by not only Laurence Kanter, but also by Pia Palladino, Magnolia Scudieri, Carl Strehlke, Victor M. Schmidt, and Anneke de Vries not only inform - they also read like a novel of the life and times in 15th Century Florence. In every way this is a magnum opus that represents well the Museum's exemplary exhibition of the work of Fra Angelico. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

I was prejudiced against Bean's fifties incursion into space after the tedium of "Freddy and the Space Ship," but "Men from Mars" proved to be a surprisingly strong title. My six year old son laughed a lot and was thrilled when one of his favorite villains showed up. A good one!

Freddy the Pig and his friends from the Bean farm have come a long way from their first trip to Florida in 1928. Now they have a Farm Animals Republic, a bank, a newspaper, an atomic powered car and even a rocket ship. But, despite the prestige and renown of being Bean farm animals, their basic nature had remains the same - they are honest, forthright, and darned funny.

Things bode ill for the Boomschmidt Circus when Herbert Garble (who has never had an honest day in his life) joins them with six strange looking men from Mars - each a foot high, in red pajamas and wearing red fluffy whiskers. Freddy is sure there is some fraud involved, but the Circus is making a ton of money and the last thing the farm animals want to do is hurt Mr. Boomschmidt. Freddy, Jinx the Cat, Uncle Ben and Mrs. Peppercorn head out to investigate.

What they find is pretty fishy, or rather, pretty ratty. Mean old Simon the rat and his family are up to their necks in trouble making, and Garble's Martians are just the start. If the rats have their way the Beans will be forced off their farm and Uncle Ben will lose his rocket ship. Drastic times call for drastic measures as the animals prepare to go to war.

If things are strange with fake Martians, they get stranger when a flying saucer full of real Martians shows up to investigate. Soon there are rats pretending they are Martians, rabbits pretending they are rats pretending they are Martians, and real Martians stirring the pot. As Freddy nearly is sent to Montana to become pork chops and bacon, everything hangs in the balance.

As always Walter Brooks' tales combine humor and suspense with a natural sense of values that apply equally to animal and man. If the science in this book is a bit silly it is still engaging enough for its intended readership. And the simple lessons of friendship and doing what is right never grow old.

Walter R. Brooks Is witty and intellegent he makes wonderful books and this is wnderful and i think it should be rated ten stars!!!!!



It is so Cool.

I love this book and i think it is one of the best by Walter R. Brooks.
I love Walter Brooks and i love all of his books including Freddy the Pilot, Freddy The Cowboy, and Freddy and the Egnormous.
I highly recomend his books to people of all ages.

What else can I say? Yet again, my 7-year-old son and I devoured another Freddy the Pig book. This guy knows how to write and how to tell a great tale while slipping in tidbits for all ages.

Despite the title of the book, and despite the title of this review, this sixteenth volume in the Freddy the Pig series is much less about football, and much more about the Bean farm animals saving the day once more. This time the antagonist (Freddy readers like learning new words) is the dishonest Mr. Doty. He's so dishonest that Doty isn't even his real name. Animal-hater Mr. Garble recruits Mr Doty to pretend he's Mrs. Bean's long lost brother, to whom the Beans owe a large amount of money. In order to prevent the Beans from paying him, Freddy steals all the Beans' money from the bank. Where he hides it is for you to find out when you read the story.

There's a great deal to learn in this volume, including why spiders like to hang from the ceiling (try it yourself, the author suggests). A child will also learn many new words: felicitous, sanctum, recumbent, transgression, malefactor, culinary, pecuniary, habiliments, prejudice, hackneyed, and speach impediment.

We also find out that none of the prisoners in the Centerboro jail got through third grade, and that the prisoners love to play hopscotch. And we learn that under the laws of a free people, everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty.

There are also some fresh new Freddyisms here, as when Freddy states that Mr. Bean "is one of the best people in the world at not saying anything." And when Mr. Bean says to Freddy that he knows "you're not guilty, but don't do it again."

The principal audience for the Freddy the Pig series is 7 to 10 year olds, but they are also very fun for adults to re-read, too.

Walter Brooks begins this sixteenth tale of our indomitable porcine poet with a great stir on the Bean Farm. Mrs. Bean's long lost brother has been discovered, and is coming to the farm for a reunion. When Aaron Doty makes his appearance, it is with mixed reviews. He is generally nice enough, although he has a marked affection for telling tall tales, but he has a suspicious mean streak. In the final analysis, the animals come to suspect that he is a fraud, taking advantage of the fact that Mrs. Bean's brother left when she was quite young. When they find out that Doty is conspiring with sneaky Mr. Garble from Centerboro, they are convinced.

But what should they do? The Beans owe Doty half of Mrs. Bean's inheritance. $5,000 dollars that long ago was put into the farm. They will have to borrow the money from the bank, and that means the Bean's will be near destitute. Even when the animals trap Doty in one lie after another, Mrs. Bean is adamant. No matter how rotten the man is, as long as he is her brother he is entitled to the money. Freddy will have to go to unheard of extremes to make this problem come out right.

One the lighter side, Freddy manages to be drafted into the Centerboro High School football team. It seems that pigs make superb tackles, and the Centerboro team is in sad shape. To make matters worse, their archrivals from Tushville have several players on their roster who are old enough to be teachers. Whenever Freddy can make time, he is either in classes of at football practice. Hopefully he will be able to help the Centerboro team improve their hapless record.

As usual, Brooks and illustrator Kurt Wiese manage to recreate one of the strangest fantasy worlds ever put into children's books. Animals talk, often making more sense than do their human counterparts. Freddy is part poet, part banker, part newspaperman, and now, part left tackle. Spiders go for trips to California, and the Centerboro jail is better than most four star resorts. Through it all come positive lessons about friendship and support, honesty (well, sometimes), and an abiding belief that a determined effort will turn things around. Hard as it may be to believe, you can do a lot worse than learning your values from a pig!

As usual, Freddy gets into trouble and into the adventure by trying to help his friends. In this case, Mrs. Bean's long-lost brother turns up and wants his share of the inheritance, something that will bankrupt Mr. Bean and possibly ruin the farm. At the same time, he is needed to help the Centerboro high school football team beat its rival, Tushville, who has ringers playing on their team. The action is fast and furious, and a delight to read. Brooks and his Freddy books are a godsend to parents who read to their children.