Animals Books

This is one of the most tender, thoughful, whimsical and joyful books in this particular genre I have ever encountered. The story, part fantasy of course, in a way, is tenderly told and has a beat and life of it's own. A bear, captivated by a letter found in the woods finds a new friend. A young lady, obviously seeking the peacefulness we all desire, finds a friend. They both share the love of the written word and the love of books. The soft paintings are an absolute delight and some of the best I have seen. This is one of those childrens books that children truly do enjoy, but I suspect most adults will actuall enjoy it as much as the child, if not more so. Like a previous reviewer, If it were up to me, this one would capture most of the awards given for childrens books. I cannot recommend this one highly enough. Suggest you buy the thing as you will no doubt want to read it again and again. Thank you Haseley and LaMarche! Job well done!

Every night, my husband reads to my son to help him drift off to sleep. He has read HUNDREDS of books to him over the past few years (my son is 4), but THIS book is not only a favorite of my son's, it is my husband's favorite. After reading this book for the first time, my husband INSISTED I go read it for myself. I have to admit....it is quite possibly the most charming, most endearing, almost mesmorizing children's story I have ever read. It's the perfect story.

This is a beautifully written book that surpasses the realm of "just a children's book". The language is poetic and the story is really touching--it actually brought tears to my eyes! After my 6-year-old read it to me, she put it down and said, "Wow, that was a really good book, mommy. Can we buy this one?" We definately will be buying it, and any others this author writes.

I teach 6th grade, my students love this book! During shared reading I read it to them, they were silent and enthralled. Don't feel this book is for the very young only, it was read to me during my Master's course work and I appreciated it in a whole new way!! I highly recommend this book to all readers, want-to-be readers and those doing the reading to others.
Kat L.

Bears can't understand language. Or can they? In this gentle fantasy, a bear finds a letter in the woods, puzzles over its markings and brings it to his cave; he's tantalized by it. When he meets a woman reading books in the woods by her cabin, they begin an unusual friendship. She reads to him daily. "All the words she read made a story. A story for her bear." And when she departs for the winter, she leaves her books behind for her friend, who takes them, one by one, to his cave. He's soothed by them during the long winter months - no mention of hibernating; this is a fantasy. "And while he slept, he heard her voice, gentle and near. She was telling him a tale of adventure, and magic, and love. And...before she came back in the spring, whenever he put his nose to the pages or touched the covers with his claws, she was there."

The story is haunting, but it's the illustrations that imbue the tale with such power and grace. The bear is adorable. The pine woods are lovely. This book does what good storybooks do: transport the reader to another place. You can smell the pine straw on the forest floor, imagine the roughness of the bear's coat, feel the chill in the autumn air. Best of all, you feel the strong bond between the book's two characters.

[...]

Though I have often thought of the similarities between the noses of bears and my own labrador retriever, and been tempted to ascribe those labrador characteristics to bears, I knew better. My reading about bears has included many tales of bear maulings and their extreme medical consequences. This book, though, showed me that bears can equal our canine buddies in establishing full and rich relationships. This unique story of love among the Minnesota woods made me wish that I could pull up stakes and establish a home in the woods and wait for the bears to visit. It really makes one wonder what relationships with other animals we might have if given the opportunity.

I never understood black bears until reading Jack Becklund's book. I laughed and cried, feeling as if I was right there with Jack and his wife Patti. Afterward, I wanted to visit that area, see the house, see the yard where Little Bit and the other bears played. I now want to find out more about helping these wonderful creatures survive. I have never been more moved by a book. I would love to communicate with Jack and Patti some time and get a picture of "Conversation with a Bear". They are incredible people and so fortunate to have had such a gift in their lives as becoming intimately involved with God's beautiful wildlife.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book. I am reading it again now for the second time. It is hard to put down. Thank you Jack and Patti for sharing this beautiful experience with us.
Joanne Setlock
Wallace Ave.
Buffalo, New York 14216

If you love animals, nature, the great outdoors, and reading about people who love all those things too, please get this book, sit down with a box of tissues, and enjoy! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll shake your head in wonderment. The author Jack Becklund and his wife Patti, move deep into the Minnesota forests. Their property is home to deer gamboling on the lawn, chipmunks and hand-fed squirrels munching seeds on the porch,wild mallard ducks swimming and splashing in the creek below, and a colorful array of native birds. But the real heart of the story is Little Bit, the black bear cub who toddles onto the back deck one day, and stays for the next six summers as a welcome, loving, and deeply loved guest of the couple. She is a magical spirit, a living, breathing gift from God, sent to bring great joy to their lives. We are honored to meet Little Bit's cubs, her mates, and numerous other black bears who live in the area, and come to trust the Becklunds. The story itself is incredible, but between the lines, we watch the couple come to love and appreciate the power of this sacred trust they've been given...the joy of the relationship they share with these magnificent animals.This is a book for all time...a classic in every sense of the word. The photos are magnificent, and bring the personalities of the animals into beautiful focus.

Summer with the bears is by far the best book I've ever read. If you don't have it or haven't read it do so now. It will change your life in some way I'm sure. I first read about it in the Reader's Digest and put my copy on order for the moment it came out. Little bit and all of the other bears touched my heart so much it's hard ot describe. I felt like I was there with them as events were happening. Jack and Patti you are so lucky to have had this special time in your lives and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sharing it with us. Just goes to show that all animals are not as we always imagine them to be, yet we know at the same time they are not all created equal. There are those that possess a special trait and willingness to be different, that was little bit. Your book was written from your heart, and the pictures helped us to be there too. I laughed and I cried along with you. so few of us will experience what you did interacting with the bears on the level that you did. I attribute your book to helping me find a hidden talent I did not know existed in me. I started sketching, and yes mostly bears. I did one of you and Patti with little bit, if you'd ever like them all you need to do is ask and they are yours. You touched my life in such a special way that in turn I'd like to touch your lives too. Hope there will be more books and I wish you all the best in your lives. Thank You for sharing your special lives with the world.

Summer With The Bears is about a couple who decide to leave the city for an adventure in Minnesota to observe the bears. At first Jack & Patti started out just observing the bears for hours to learn their habits and earn their confidence. And they do earn their trust. There were many more animals that they befriended. They kept a journal on everything that happened concerning the bears and other animals. They even named the bears.

As a true animal lover, I really liked this book. The pictures added to the book. If you are looking for a short and sweet read this is the book for you.

My daughter loves this book! Never fails to get lots of belly laughs. The text in the thought bubbles is really secondary to the telling of the story that goes on via the drawings of Elephant and Piggie. This has been a bedtime favorite for some time and still has not gotten old - highly recommended!

Mo Willems is a genius. These books work like a classic Warner Brothers cartoon; working on two levels simultaneously. There's simple sight-gag humor for the kids; and sly, subtle humor for the grownups. The sparse but extremely expressive artwork is a joy to behold and study. My 4 year old daughter encounterd this book in a library while on vacation this summer. We all find the book and all the others in the series to be excruciatingly funny! We read the books aloud; I play Gerald, and my daughter plays Piggie. (I also do any other minor characters) We read the dialogue in a huge, over-the-top, melodramatic fashion, doing our best Mel Blanc/Daws Butler impressions, and act out the physical bits where we can... She just dissolves into fits of hysterical laughter... We have all of the Piggie books now, and several of the "Pigeon" series too. I cannot recommend the works of Mo Willems highly enough!

One of my daughter's favorites and mine. It's great for laughs and pre-school kids will love it! I'm a huge fan of Mo Willems and of course this is a hit in our home, 5 STARS!!

My 3.5yo daughter absolutely loves this book. She will recite a line from it to me and we'll go back and forth "playing out" the story. I just mention "there's a bird on your head!" and she will fall into fits of giggles.

My 2yo son was not as interested (though if it doesn't have construction trucks or diggers, etc, he's not interested either). I think as he gets older he will appreciate the humor and story.

Cute story & I bought more based on the success of this one. I recommend to my friends w/similar aged kids.

I bought this book based on the reviews of others. My daughter is 1½ and since we live abroad, I am trying to encourage her English skills and the book sounded funny.

She loves this book and can now count to three and say "hatching", although I am not quite sure how handy THAT word comes in...:-)
The book is always read at least three times and I enjoy it as much as she does - I can highly recommend this book.

Moving story about a puppy in training to be a guide dog. Wonderfully moving text and absolutely beautiful pictures. As a puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, I truly appreciate the beauty and accuracy of this story which follows a puppy from the arrival at the puppy raiser's home until graduation as a working part of a guide dog team. A true classic that is appropriate for all ages, this book tells lovingly about the joys, laughter, love and pain of raising a puppy that will some day give another the gift of independence and mobility.

I am a puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence and love this book. Any puppy raiser can relate even if you don't raise pups just for the blind (like me).

A great gift as well.

As the author of "Coco the Love Dog" and a pet therapy partner, we have read Through Otis' Eyes many times while reading with children as part of the "Reading to Dogs program. A wonderful, endearing, uplifting book!

Sue Grundfest, author, "Coco the Love Dog"

This is a wonderful book! I read it frequently -- whenever I want to remember what is REALLY important. Of course, my face is wet with tears by the time I'm done, but they are tears of gratitude. Read this book when you need to remind yourself that what matters in life is not fame or fortune, but love. Once again, animals show us how it is done.

I love this book!!! It is not only an inspiration for puppy raisers, but also a look at life in general. Everyone should read it. I am a puppy raiser in FL and raised a puppy who looks just like Otis - what a bonus for me.

Why is this book out of print? It is so magnificent!!!...

This is a very small book. I had no clue it was what I would call a pamphlet. The instructions of the few projects inside are wonderful and the pictures are perfect, there just is not much there. When you look at the insie of the book and hit surprise me a couple of times, you have seen the entire book. It is less than 50 pages. It's best asset is the photos, particularly the piece building sequences.

Such a fun book! Christi is highly entertaining. Her lovely personality comes shining through Loud and Clear!!! I have a great time pulling out these books and following along with her step by step. I am always very satisfied with the results. And usually I am not a step by step kinda person. I am more of the no rules/color outside of the lines kinda gal but, Christi makes it fun to follow along! I can't wait for the rest of the series. So far I've made a few frogs, a dragon, a sea-horse, and some flowers, vines and foliage.

I recommend the entire series. Even my young nieces and my mother-in-law creating projects from these books!

This is a very cute book that is so funny and enjoyable to read and study. I would love to meet and get to know this author and artist in person. What you learn in here is laced with so much humor it makes it so much fun to learn the techniques. It was the first time I read instructions all the way through for anything!!
I'm a diver and this gave me so much inspiration to do some ocean figures.
Also, fantastic condition for a used book. I saved lots of $$ by buying them through Amazon, used.

I love this pamphlet. The projects are beyond cute and the author has a sense of humor that makes the instructions clear and humorous. I intend to buy the series.

Having just received this book, I just wanted to say how fun and different it is from most polymer clay books. This is the first of the series of books from this artist that I have bought.
I haven't had my clay out for a few years but it's coming back out now! I have so many ideas for gifts for my friends and family. This artist has written a great book to stimulate the imagination and if you don't have one, you can just use hers. I am very happy with this purchase!

This book is about 95% perfect for a new Vizsla owner. Higher quality images would be the one improvement I would recommend...

This book was everything I expected for a good book on the Vizsla breed. Tons of information on Vizslas. Nicely done.

This is a great book, full of information! It is very helpful for preparing for this breed.

This book was highly recommended to me by a Vizsla dog breeder as the authority on raising and training your Vizsla. After reading the book I have to agree that this is an excellent book. It covers all aspects of the breed from birth to death. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in buying this lovely breed of dog or to anyone who is currently the owner of a Vizsla.

Vizslas are great dogs, but they have some unique characteristics, that you need to know about before owning one. I would highly recommend this to anyone considering buying a Vizsla or a new owner. I have made notes and noted page numbers and have referred to them often.

there are a lot of animal drawing books out there but this book has way more information to help you capture the essence of the animal. Not many animal artist are that knowledgeable about their subjects as much as joe Weatherly. this is one of the best animal guide book that i ever got, it's like my bible i used it everyday. So if you are serious about drawing animals this the book for you.

I probably own most of the popular titles on animal art and I have to say that this is the single one that I refer to the most. Instruction is excellent with many drawings. If you want to buy one this might be it.

I have owned this book for about three years now and barely go anywhere without it. I find something new each time I look through it. It is wonderfully helpful in not only getting the gesture and proportion of animals correct, but also in how to find the planes and construction of the animals. For each animal, he not only shows all phases of his drawing technique, but also includes a simpified version of the skeleton under the skin so you have a representation of the structure under the skin without getting bogged down by worrying about every single rib and vertebra.
His drawings have simple as well as dynamic poses, and show the reader how to start fom the very basics, and take the drawing to completion. He includes correct perspective and shows how to use the basic shapes to make the animal seem three-dimensional and realistic. All in all, I have gotten way more out of this book than I paid for it. I am an art student, and while I have gotten so much use out of it, it is a great book for anyone who is interested in drawing animals, no matter what skill level they are. I higly reccommend it.

I am a student of the author. I also study at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and I ALWAYS use this book for any animal reference I need. It is very useful to have this book because of the scope of animals in it. Whether I need farm animals or exotic jungle cats, I can go to this book and get the most comprehensive anatomical reference I have come across.

If one is seriously interested in animal drawing, he/she should purchase Ambrus' and Hultgren's books. Then, you can order this one, as well. It is good complement to mentioned titles.
The book is very well organized, and the drawings are very good, unlike those in some other titles on the subject which I had opportunity to browse. The author's idea was "less words - more pics". It works.

the ultimate guide, including all cetacean species known to mna, even the elusive beaked whales. Even inlcudes a species or two that had only been discovered by skulls. The illustrations for those species are the artist's impressions. The artist is the amazing marc carwardine. Excellent guide for cetacean lovers

Once again, reading the list of photo-credits at the back of this book is like reading the index in a "Who's Who in the world of Underwater Photography." This is an exciting book with colour photographs (though occasionally a map or diagram) on every single page and the standard of reproduction is as good as it gets.

As with "Sharks & Rays" (a book in the same series), the content is also as good as it gets and, if you only had room to pack a single book on the subject before setting out to discover some of these excellent creatures, then this book will satisfy all your requirements.

Commencing with their customary "Understanding" Whales Dolphins and Porpoises, the reader is then taken on a journey which provides a complete and wide understanding of these incredible creatures - many species of which remain on the brink of extinction. With sections on hunting, captivity, migration and much more plus a page dedicated to each specific species, this book is as complete as it should be and fully lives up to the promise in the title of being an "Ultimate" guide.

Altogether and excellent book and an essential addition to any scuba diver's library.

NM

Once again, reading the list of photo-credits at the back of this book is like reading the index in a "Who's Who in the world of Underwater Photography." This is an exciting book with colour photographs (though occasionally a map or diagram) on every single page and the standard of reproduction is as good as it gets.

As with "Sharks & Rays" (a book in the same series), the content is also as good as it gets and, if you only had room to pack a single book on the subject before setting out to discover some of these excellent creatures, then this book will satisfy all your requirements.

Commencing with their customary "Understanding" Whales Dolphins and Porpoises, the reader is then taken on a journey which provides a complete and wide understanding of these incredible creatures - many species of which remain on the brink of extinction. With sections on hunting, captivity, migration and much more plus a page dedicated to each specific species, this book is as complete as it should be and fully lives up to the promise in the title of being an "Ultimate" guide.

Altogether and excellent book and an essential addition to any scuba diver's library.

NM

This book is extremely useful to both the general reader and to those with a serious interest in cetaceans. The book is well organized for quick reference and beautifully illustrated to aid in species identification in the field. Cetaceans are grouped by family and unique characteristics are clearly defined and illustrated. In addition the book is lightweight and easily carried on a boat trip. Highly recommended.

My main objections to this field guide were the illustrations. Artistic renderings are often beautiful, but fail to portray the animal in question with accuracy. Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius)is a case in point. Although I have not observed this animal at sea myself, I spoke with a number of fellow fishery biologists who have spent time at sea as marine mammal observers and no one has ever observed a bright yellow Ziphius in the field. All observed a base color of grey with this genus, at least in the northeastern Pacific. The Tasmacetus rendering is most likely based on the J. Mammalogy (1976) paper by Watkins wherein an unidentified ziphiid whale (probable Tasmacetus) was observed from a bluff overlooking the sea in New Zealand. Useful plates were those showing all similar cetaceans together; eg. all oceanic dolphins without prominent beaks, all oceanic dolphins WITH prominent beaks etc. The ziphidae plates show male Mesoplodon characteristics, but that is to be expected since solitary female ziphiid whales, especially Mesoplodon sp., could be virtually impossible to identify. My own field guide preferences use photographs rather than artistic renderings. Other problems: The distribution maps to not reflect the full distribution (extralimital observations/strandings) of many species. An example: Psuedorca is shown as a species with a distribution much further south than observations/stranding records indicate. The text does suggest that 'numerous records' exist outside of the more tropical distribution shown in the map. Note also that many of the dolphin renderings are positioned so that the dorsal fin is right where the pages meet. We did get a chuckle over the photograph showing what you should wear when watching whales, but that can be explained by our 'silly scientist' bias. One note for potential whale-watchers: do not allow your binocular strap to lie right on the skin of your neck while at sea as you can wear painful wounds into your neck through a day of whale-watching. Make sure your shirt collar or other clothing lies under that silly strap! Voice of experience!

My 6 year has a ton of books and takes out a ton of books out of the libary. As a result, his bar is pretty high for books that wow him. After I bought this book, he asked me to read it to him every day for 2 weeks and it's still a favorite!

Big and small are fascinating themes for him and this book has an innovative approach to this concept.

Additionally, the actual size challenge is fabulous. Kids are fascinating by giant squids and tiny insects etc. It's wonderful to see some element of their size depicted in true size on the page. Very creative approach.

Has also inspired my son to think about biodiversity since so many \extra large or extra small outliers of species are depicted.

Great book.

My daughter loves this book and so do I!!!! I highly recommend it to anyone with kids, and you yourself wil love it!!

Holy cow, do my kids love this book. We bought it for our 3 year old son, thinking it would be too simplistic for our 5 year old, but both kids are fascinated with the pictures and love to compare their own body parts to the animals featured in the book. For example, they like to put their hands on the gorilla hand, measure their heads against the eye of the giant squid, put their toes on the elephant's toes...it's just a lot of fun to read this book to them because they get so engaged in the contents. Highly, highly recommended.

This is a wonderful book for any classroom (Pre-school to Middle School). It's a great tool to motivate students to investigate on their own and explore other animal facts. Awards this book has won: 2005 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book; 2004 The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB) Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Award. (Many of Steve Jenkins' books have won several awards and honors.) He's on my "author watch" list.

Between the paper-cut collage, the huge pages, the factual information done in a fun way and just the overall style of the book makes this one of my favorites I've reviewed so far. Children and adults will love to measure themselves up to the 3 foot giant gippsland earthworm and find out that the giant squid's eyeball is bigger than their head. There is even an open out middle page of the world's largest frog and a crocodile that can chew your arm off in one bite. Steve Jenkins, author and illustrator, did an amazing job with this book and I believe it is enjoyable for all ages.

MY kids liked this book pretty good. It is a bit hefty in pricve but it is good.

Book arrived when expected and how expected - can't expect much more than than!

My four year old daughter and I love this book. If you're looking to buy a preschooler a story for Halloween--this is the one. It has witches, magic, and some not too scary mischief. It's quite satisfying and teaches that what goes around comes around. The book is even endorsed by former President Jimmy Carter!

Alice and Greta arrived serendipitously the same day that my son got in trouble at school and therefore lost privileges at home. Until we read this book together, he was having a problem understanding why talking too much at school meant he lost TV at home. Once he learned "The Brewmerang Principle" from the book, however, he got it. Now, he begins each day stating, "I'm going to be like Alice and do good things for people so that good things happen to me. I'm NOT going to be like that bad Greta." In addition to the great moral, the illustrations are very attractive, and kids who are interested in magic will love the story just for that aspect. Highly recommended for young readers.

Magic and wizardry are just some of the thing's you'll find in the book called Alice and Greta by Steven J.Simmons. This story is about Alice who is a wich and does nice thing's for people and girl named Greta who is also a wich and does mean thing's to people.
So if you like magic, you'll like this book. I like this book because everything that Greta did to people comes back to her in the end. So the lesson you learn is it doesn't matter what you do to people it will always comes back to you.