Wildlife Books

Having grown up in the Rockies as a child and having lived in the Midwest for the past 25 years, it was a pleasure to see the Snow Ghosts in such a charming story. I read it to my grandchildren explaining that those snow ghosts really do exist. They loved the snow skiing related story and the animals. It was hard for them to envision the characters but the photos and illustrations did the trick. Lovely. I have six granddaughters and I intend to buy a copy for each one.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated story about Blizzard, a Rocky Mountain Snow Ghost and his adventures with his family and many of his animal friends. Highly recommended for children and adults of all ages, especially skiers, snowboarders and anyone that loves snow, mountains or the environment.

After spotting many different animals on my property in this area, and finding countless more "scats & tracks" all over the area, I decided to learn a little about what was roaming my yard when I was not looking.

For this purpose, scats & tracks has been invaluable at helping to identify the creatures, small and large, that roam the area of the south-central coastal region of California.

It has illustrations sized-to-life, and is small enough to carry in a pouch as a feild guide. Much recommended.

This small field guide supposedly covers the extreme western United States, but many of the animals illustrated also range into the the Northern Rockies and western Canada so this book is useful for most of western North America. There are two pages for each of the 70 mammals, birds and reptile/amphibians. Every animal has a small-scale range map, overall sketch, sketch of its droppings, large sketch of forward and rear footprints and a sketch of the pattern left by several footprints. I found the latter especially useful since many times the individual tracks are not too clear, especially in sand or dry snow, but the track pattern provides a positive identification. This lightweight, pocket-sized format makes it convenient to carry. Highly recommended for hikers, campers and nature buffs.

My husband loves the book and has already made several of the projects in the book. The book arrived in less than a week after I placed the order and I was very pleased with that.

This book is great. You can combine the different patters so you can make more than are actually given. The patterns are easy - and give a great finished project

Wonderful and unique view of the underwater world. Great concept and beautiful photos. The postcards are too pretty to send to anyone so I'm keeping them for myself. (I did use one as a stocking-stuffer for my stepson who scuba dives!)

Incredible photography, and an interesting perspective for underwater shots.

Personally, I framed these postcards for my sons' room - they love anything having to do with the ocean! Guess I'll have to order another set to send out to my friends!

The photography of the book is beautiful, also the drawings. I loved the book. I like the narrative aswell. I recommend this book to anyone who likes and enjoy learning about moose...and the beautiful photographies of course.

The photography is very well done. The authors relate their pains-taking study of these powerful animals. The reported observations blend well with accumulated knowledge of moose. My recollection is that this book is based on observations of moose in the mountain west area of the U.S.

This book is good because it has good pictures. I like the picture where the coyote licks the water. This book reminds me of Owl Moon by Jane Yolen because both stories are about boys and fathers getting together. They are both also about birds flying and the connections people have to animals. Secret Place has great descriptions like this, "Close by is a freeway where cars and trucks boom, and a railroad track with freight trains that shunt and grunt. There are warehouses with windows blinded by dust and names paint-scrawled on their brick walls."

"Secret Place" is a beautiful story: through its words, illustrations, and message. The author and illustrator tell the story of a boy who finds a secret place that is the home for many kinds of urban wildlife. This story is a wonderful teaching tool for children. It teaches respect for animals and wildlife, while at the same time educating about the many different kinds of wildlife that live in the city and how they came to live in an urban environment. "Secret Place" would be excellent for an environmental unit. I would find a way to work it into any unit, or have children read it on their own. It would be a good story to read to and share with children. Another excellent book with an environmental message is "Two Days in May" by Harriet Peck Taylor.

Stare at the beautiful underwater photographs. Sitback, relax and gently discover the Ocean Realm with the still images of Howard Hall and his wife Michele, images that, as Peter Benchley (Jaws, The Deep) writes in the foreword, are among the finest in the world. Dive. Wander through the Kelp forests of the northern Pacific. Get a close-up of sharks and squids in magic detail. Enjoy the vivid colors of the reef and watch lobsters and sea turtles, dolphins and whales in an exciting photographic journey! Since this book is not a reference work, you will also enjoy reading it slowly and in the direction of your choice, diving at pleasure through the light text that describes the Hall's adventures as filmmakers and marine photographers. And then you will also find some information about the sea-life captured in the images and poetic hints about scuba-diving and underwater photography. A nice dive, a pleasant reading and, at the price that Amazon.com is offering it, a real gift. Buy the book!

This is one of the best books I have ever read about the underwater world. Incredibly beautiful underwater photography of high quality. The photos do not only depict animals swimming around but, for example, sarcastic fringehead males in a showy territorial "fight," close up.

I also like the authors' sensible view about animals and diving in the ocean. No show-off accounts of near-shark-escapes but an honest experience, mostly good but sometimes scary, of working under water. The authors recount some extraordinary events, such as a ride on a manta after freeing him from entangling fishing nets, or unexpectedly finding themselves surrounded by a school of fish that is being slaughtered by marlins.

With this book we get a wonderful view into the ocean world but also a fascinating account of what it is like spending many hours a day waiting, scouting, decompressing, refilling tanks and back to waiting so one can capture a never seen one-minute event on film that made it worth all the work.

David Hopes, in this sensitive and breathtaking book, reaches the highest goal of any good writing--to touch the spirit and raise it up. These essays are about nature, yes, and about its beauty--but more than that: they are about the interfaces between the human world and the natural world. Or, more even than that, they are about how the human and natural world are one, fabric of the same universe. The nature that is our nature. And, it is this knowledge that has the power to save us. I urge you to read this book and treasure it-- for its beauty and its spiritual searching and its wisdom.

There are no words to express the magnificence of Mr. Hopes' prose. I came upon a copy accidently and have read and enjoyed it more than any other book in my vast library. This is a book that truly should be re-issued. David Brendan Hopes is a literary gift to be treasured.

This book is enlightening. It retells old tales with beautiful photos. Animals and nature have center stage in the attempts to teach us, to show us, what is important in life. I volunteer at a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Illinois and can speak personally of witnessing the intelligence, the playfulness, the connectedness that exists in all creatures. We should cherish the earth, the animals, the plants, they can survive without us, but we wouldn't make it without them.

All creation is connected. This is the underlying theme of "Shared Spirits" as it beautifully depicts Native American thoughts on twelve different species through extraordinary photographs and witty narration. "Considering the struggles we are now having with our own environment, perhaps it is time to listen to some old teachers - the ones who have been here for eons. Native People aren't the original teachers. They simply listened to the rest of the Earth with an open heart, giving voice to bear, eagle, raven and stone, and carried the water through the desert, to us (from the Introduction of Shared Spirits)." Perhaps through works such as this, all creation can learn to live harmoniously together and man can begin to realize that we have been entrusted to be caretakers of this beautiful planet and all of the creation it houses.

I've found that I'm really picky about datebooks and calendars -- this one meets all of my criteria:
1. 5x7 size - I like the space because I scrawl.
2. 1 page per week - never more, never less.
3. The left side is always the picture of the week (stunning, a conversation piece).
4. The right side is always the week and Sat. & Sun. are never scrunched.

This calendar's purchase and examination is always a pleasurable event, and I have saved them for some 20 years. The 2005 edition measures up well. There appears to be a bit more emphasis on close-up photography in this year's edition, but the subjects chosen are very beautiful and some of the finest photography anywhere, I daresay. Another splendid work. Bravo!!!!