Wildlife Books

A well written book for children with illustrations of expressive cats.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

All Around Cats is a short book filled with illustrations of cats engaged in common cat activities. Whether stalking, jumping, prowling, sneaking, or napping they are just all around cats. The illustrations point out the wide variety of features among cats including various colors, tail shapes, and fur types. All Around Cats is a good choice for children learning to read, and especially so if they love cats.

Whether they're fat, or thin, black or white, there are cats all around. Spying through windows, bothering dogs, playing with toys, and more. Dolly Viscardi's wonderful rhyming prose will capture everyone's attention, and the glorious illustrations by David Brooks accompanying each rhyme couldn't be more darling. Whether you're a cat lover or not, you MUST have this book!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

What a charming book! The text and illustrations perfectly complement each other.

I just received Wildlife Painting Basics by Jeanne Scott. What a nice book! Its full of great information and even better illustrations of her work. This artist obviously studies her subjects and renders them well. More importantly she is not afraid to share her knowledge. Her approach is clear and easily understood. Its a good addition to anyone's art library.

Jeanne Filler Scott's book appeals to people who enjoy small animals as well as those who aspire to painting or drawing them.

She obviously has much familiarity with these kinds of animals and enjoys their company. Her commentary includes personal anecdotes about her interactions with her subjects, as well as easy to follow instructions for painting them, or simply understanding the color and detail of their anatomy.

Her book fills a needed niche in small animal painting instruction. Her step by step approach and honest, detailed descriptions of how to achieve painting effects will enable anyone interested in painting or drawing to create beautiful renderings of these animals. The animals showcased in her book include: rabbits, squirrels, foxes, raccoons, woodchucks, otters, mice, hamsters, ferrets, guinea pigs, gerbils, prairie dogs and chipmunks.

Jeanne Filler Scott has been included in numerous wildlife art books and magazines. This, her first book, is an excellent, clearly illustrated and clearly written work, and will undoubtedly become a collectable. Enjoy it!

I wanted to capture in color a chipmunk that I'd photographed. This book takes you step-by-step through developing the painting of a variety of animals. It includes rabbits, squirrels, prairie dogs, foxes, raccoons, woodchucks, ferrets, otters, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs and even chipmunks. There's a page of tips for photographing small animals to use as reference photos for your painting.
Then it breaks it down into mini-demonstrations showing how to paint that animals' eyes, feet, tail, fur, muzzle and nose, and even the whiskers.
The instructions are quite detailed on the exact colors to use, getting the shadows, strokes to use for fur, adding highlights, etc.
It's an excellent book for animal-loving artists.

I bought this book for my sister who is learning how to include animals in her paintings. She raved about this book. She said it is a wonderful reference on painting animals and is very pleased with it.

he's down it again. Useing his massive tilents to write this book upon the wolf. Cool.

I bought this book for six dollars at chapters, I didn`t realize it would change my perceptions of the battle for the aglgonquin wolf! Long has the ontario Ministry of natural rescources neglected the speacial needs or the elusive, prosectuted animal:the wolf. Not long ago, bounties were placed on these animals and they were killed without pity or mercy. Whenever the wolves ventured out of the park they were killed, even the MNR officers took time to shoot a few yearlings. John and Mary uncover hard evidence to protect the wolf, despite being threatnened and joked at, they persued to protect the algonquin wolf. John`s unique research writing style and personal encounters with wolves, people and the park gives readers a first hand look at the wolf controversy. This book is a must for nature lovers!

I thought this was a very well written book from two hard working and passionate biologists who are deeply concerned about the Algonquin wolves. I couldn't put the book down, it was so informative and fascinating. The book brings up many issues regarding wolf conservation, and is full of interesting facts about wolves and their prey. The many years of wolf research done by these two biologists in Algonquin Park really shows through. If you love wolves this book is a must for your collection.

This book is a wonderful summation of one of the longest wolf studies ever. As a life-long visitor to Algonquin Park, it is a pleasure to learn about the wolves in and around the park. I never realized how many wolves were in that area. Although this is a wonderful book, I was disheartened by the hatred displayed by people towards these researchers and the beautiful wolves that they are studying.

Great book! I owned my first arctic wolf/husky some 25 years ago and have owned two other wolves since. Little Grizz just howled in the back yard, probably to his firefighter friends who just went by with their siren whistling. After experiencing The Wolves of Minnesota, David Mech has reminded me; I'm still learning.

Edited by renowned wolf expert L. David Mech, The Wolves of Minnesota: Howl in the Heartland collects the expertise of individuals who have devoted themselves to studying Minnesota wolves, and presents the amazing true story of the wild Minnesota wolf's remarkable comeback. Gorgeous full-color photography on almost every page enhances this collection of essays that range from a summary of the wolf's life cycle and predator/prey habits to an in-depth discussion of managing the conflict between livestock owners who suffer from wolf depredations, wildlife supporters who have strong beliefs against allowing the killing of wolves, and government wolf control and compensation programs meant to chart an equitable middle ground. Enthusiastically recommended for wolf lovers everywhere.

In this book, the alpha male of wolf studies, David Mech, has collected contributions from other leading researchers on a variety of topics concerning wolf behavior, wolf-human conflicts, and wolf research and policy. It differs from other books on wolves in focusing very narrowly on the Minnesota population, with only occasional mention of connected metapopulations in Michigan, Ontario and Wisconsin.

The book is filled with beautiful pictures of wolves at all times of the Minnesota year - - winter, no longer winter, and getting to be winter. (These seasons are also known as "winter" and "road construction.") Jokes aside, the pictures are beautiful and well worth the modest price of the book.

The chapters provide a very helpful introduction to wolves, written at the classic tenth-grade reading level that we are all supposed to use for adults. They are accessible and informative, but wolf freaks won't find anything new.

I'd heartily recommend this book for every high school and public library in Minnesota, and also recommend it to others for the pictures. The text is good for a certain audience, which I hope I've described above, but not for other audiences.

I recieved this book as a gift, and I was duly impressed by the stunning photography and loads of intriguing wolf information. I am also an avid wolf artist, and I use this book's color photography for reference quite often. Anyone who loves wolves and wild canids, Minnesotan or not, should read this book.

Beautiful pictures illustrates the many different wolves that were restored to yellowstone (#10, #9etc...). Illustrates the effort the yellowstone had to put in to restore the wolf to its natural habitat. Very interesting to the average wolf lover and those who are interested in what happened in the 1995 restoration of the wolves to yellowstoen.

Beautiful pictures, touching and moving story. About the restoration of the wolves.

an excellent book describing the ordeal of reintroducing the wolves to Yellowstone. I recommend it to everyone with even a slight interest in this topic

This book brings you right into the experience of bringing the wolves back to Yellowstone where they belong! Find out the behind the scenes activity that brought the sight and sound of the wolf back after an absence of over 60 years. You'll never be the same after reading this. Excellent!!

Yosemite may be my favorite place in the world, and so I picked up this book with some trepidation. No fear! It is true to my memory of the grandeur of scale of El Capitan and the towering granite cliffs, the warm cinnamon-colored bark of sequoias and the still, reflective surface of sections of the Merced River. Best of all, it allows you to experience Yosemite's timeless serenity - a quality difficult to appreciate amidst the throngs in the park itself. For anyone who has visited and loved Yosemite, the photos are evocative of the spirit of the valley - seedlings and shifting sunlight and the flow of the river against the background of ancient trees and unyielding granite. I would buy the book for the photography alone, but the accompanying poetry brings the photos down to a more human scale. Here you have a sensitive man's upwelling of joy and awe in the presence of a sacred space.

I visited Yosemite first about five years ago, and was enchanted and enthralled by its beauty. I know I am not the only one: I follow a long line of artists in many disciplines who have loved Yosemite and her glacial carvings and ancient trees... and then, crafted in the ways they know how, lasting tributes.

Dan Windisch is indeed one of those artists whose development I will now be keeping up with. His photographic and poetic work both in this small publication are reminiscent of someone who has developed a reverence for spirit and for nature, and this reveals itself to a spectacular degree in his work.

I felt both energized and inspired after my experience with this book. Its more than worth [the money] for a look: in my opinion, the calm spirituality and deep wisdom expressed here borders on being there, borders on the actual experience

I have been lucky enough to have Dr.Dan Windisch as an instructor at Saint Martin's College. I was thrilled and amazed when he shared his poetry with us. The photographs in this book are luminous. What a surprise to find out that my instructor is a poet as well. His poems show his attention to the details of nature that others may ignore. I appreciated his carefully selected photographs to accompany the poems as well. The words and images complement each other. This book would make a delightful gift; I plan to give a copy to my mom and dad. They enjoy camping and hiking; so, I know this collection of poems and photos would mean a lot to them.

The poems alone are enough to send your imagination soaring into the power and fragility of nature. Coupled with the collection of photographic portraits of nature that Dan Windisch captured, I found myself transported into the wonderous beauty of Yosemite National Park. I hope to see more Photos and Poems about our nations treasures, our National Parks. I may be biased, since I am a long-time employee of the National Park Service, but I think that everyone who loves nature will enjoy this book.

An unforgettable read.
Without a word and thus with incredible strength. It's not a political message, it's not an argument with solutions to problems.
It's just an extremely strong and human message.
A book I wish more people would read.

This book rekindled my interest in B&W photography...and since I live near a major zoo, also zoo photography. Not every photo is of the same quality, but in this book are the most singularly beautiful B&W images I have ever seen! The layout and quality are tops. I LOVE THIS BOOK. Now having said that, I must admit I love zoos...and thank heavens for them for keeping alive some of nature's most wonderful creatures which have been suffering terribly in recent years in the wild. The damage done to wildlife conservation by the Sierra Clubs and the PETAs of the world cannot be understated. So, I do not agree with her message but I love her spectacular images.

As youngsters most of us felt excited when we went to zoos to see "wild" animals. This book shows us how things may look like from the other side of the cage/barrier. The Images are stunning not only for their artistic beauty but also the message they convey: unforgettable yet heart-breaking. The composition and lighting of the black and white prints are just great.

Never have I seen a collection of photography like this book. The book not only shows the beauty of all sorts of animals but also depicts the harshness of the reality they face each day living in a zoo. The contrast between nature's awesome creatures and man's desire to put them on display is a haunting story. This photographer tells it well.

If I'd seen this book in a store, I don't think I'd have felt compelled to buy it. It doesn't look that different from countless other children's books on the shelves... Yet it IS different. It was given to me as a gift, and I'm so glad it was. My son was fascinated by it. He was 8 months old, and it was the first book he ever took an interest in. Months later, it is still his favorite. It makes him smile every time, guaranteed.

Jan Pienkowski's "Zoo" uses a simple format to appeal to the youngest children. The book introduces the reader to 14 different animals that you would see at a zoo: crocodile, hippopotamus, toucan, gorilla, and more. Each page combines a one-word caption with a colorful illustration.

The pictures are particularly appealing. Bright and colorful, these illustrations combine an iconic quality with realistic touches. From the grandeur of the peacock's tail to the charm of a koala mother and her baby, each picture is delightful. This is a fun book for both child and caregiver.

I bought this book for my son when he was 7 months old. He is now one and still chooses it over all of the other books we own. He loves the illustrations! He took his first step to get this book off of a table and he said his first word when we turned to the lion page. He now says "Yion" each time we read it!And he's learned to roar!

This is a favorite of my 9-month old son who consistently chooses it for us to read together and regularly pages through it on his own. The illustrations are bold, colorful and stimulating and the animals represented take us beyond the more common dog, pig, duck varieties to animals including the toucan, koala and camel. Its popularity with our son is motivating us to buy the whole series.

The author's experiences as the chief vet at the London Zoo began in 1951 with an inventory of sick animals at the zoo. In short time he established the world's first animal hospital and introduced the world to new concepts of veterinary medicine: Zoo Tails surveys his experiences and his unusual patients and treatments, adding a dose of humor to the mix.

Book Description
Gerald Durrell meets James Herriot. Oliver Graham-Jones recalls his time as the chief vet at London Zoo, and some of the extraordinary animals he met along the way.

Synopsis
In 1951 Oliver Graham Jones was appointed Curator of mammals at London Zoo, becoming Senior Veterinary Officer in 1960, a post he held until his retirement in 1969. This is a collection of tales from his days at the zoo during the 1950s and 1960s.

From the Back Cover
One Puff Adder One antelope One crocodile

This was the list of sick animals presented to Oliver Graham-Jones on his first day as veterinary officer at London Zoo.

It was 1951, and the care of wild animals in zoos was in its infancy. Previously, sick animals had been placed in the hands of their keepers and kept from public view. But Oliver Graham-Jones was to change all this. A pioneer of many of the techniques now used by vets around the worl, he was instrumental in building the first animal hospital and moving London Zoo away from its Victorian past into the high-tech world of modern vetinary medicine.

If a dangerous animal escaped or required urgent medical attention, Oliver was always on hand ready for any eventuality. In Zoo Tails, he tells us about some of the extraordinary animals he looked after: how he anaesthetized, and was chased by, a gorilla; captured an angry polar bear in thick fog; performed a colostomy on a python; and fitted a raven in the Tower of London with a wooden leg.

Filled with wonderfully funny stories, told with delightfully self-deprecating humour, this is a book that will appeal to lovers of animals great and small.

"Zoo Tails"' will raise many a smile and, along the way, a greater appreciation of what it is to play doctor to the most exotic collection of patients in the world.' Desmond Morris

This book is great and it gives you a warm feeling of humanity, expoloring insights into the world of a zoo vet. It is both funny, sad, and 100% real life. Oliver Graham-Jones was the first vet to work at the well known London Zoo in the 1950's. It was a time of great change and developments in anamial welfare. During his time at London zoo he helped stop TB, developed the dart gun, and many surgical procedures that has lead to many procedures undertaken by Doctors today. They including hip implants, heart impants, etc. The book is made up of 26 individual stories that make a larger whole, which makes it ideal for a train, bedtime or bathtime reads. It is available (at Amazon)in soft and hard back and on audio tape and it was number ten in the best sellers lists last year in the UK. It will make an ideal present for all ages and backgrounds.
The forwords were from Dr Desmond Morris and Sir Patrick Moore, who are Olivers great friends. If you have any comments on the book please leave your message,
As you migth have guessed by now the author is my 83 tear old father who I am very proud. I was involved in some of the original proof reading and have actually read the book many times. However, it is one of those rare books that can be read and re-read.
Have a great read. Best regards
Dr Jasper Graham-Jones

Zoo Tails written by the most respected and well-known zoo vet
This book is great and it gives you a warm feeling of humanity, exploring insights into the world of a zoo vet. It is both funny, sad, and 100% real life. Oliver Graham-Jones was the first vet to work at the well-known London Zoo in the 1950's. It was a time of great change and developments in animal welfare. During his time at London zoo he helped stop TB, developed the dart gun, and many surgical procedures that are now undertaken by human Doctors today. They including hip implants, heart implants, etc. The book is made up of 26 individual stories that make a larger whole, which makes it ideal for a train, bedtime or bath time reads. It is available (at Amazon)in soft and hard back (Large and small print version)and on audio tape and it was number ten in the best sellers lists last year in the UK. It will make an ideal present for all ages and backgrounds.
The forwards were from Dr Desmond Morris and Sir Patrick Moore, who are Oliver's great friends. If you have any comments on the book please leave your message,
As you might have guessed by now the author is my 83 dear old father who I am very proud. I was involved in some of the original proof reading and have actually read the book many times. However, it is one of those rare books that can be read and re-read.
Have a great read. Best regards
Dr Jasper Graham-Jones

Excellent childrens book in the classic tradition. Robert Stanton is one of the best illustrators to ever come out of Disney! Inspiring stuff.

What a captivating book! My whole family loves it. Here is a charming, inspiring story with exquisite illustrations. The Adventures of Lady: The Big Storm is a real winner. It is a book that you will thoroughly enjoy sharing with your child. I am recommending it to everyone.

A must have book for your family. This is a beautifully illustrated book with the heart-warming story of a real life squirrel (Lady) who was separated from her squirrel family during a Florida hurricane. Rescued by a kind-hearted person and then raised with another squirrel, Lady was then returned to the wild. This is her story and it is a wonderful read for any member of your family.