Animal Science

Did you know that only around a quarter of the Sahara Desert is covered in sand? And did you know that cash machines in Vatican City have an option to read their instructions in Latin? Did you know tug-of-war and rope climbing used to be official Olympic sports? There is no denying that the world is super interesting, and these Super Interesting Facts for Smart Kids prove precisely that!

When a storm-tossed river sweeps Ripple away from the park he’s always known, he commits himself to the life of a peaceful loner. Still, as his new island home starts to become a sanctuary for other rogues, he can’t help but feel responsible for their safety, and for the community—and Clan—they are beginning to build. But when an old friend from the park resurfaces with terrible news just as the forest cats’ fights begin to escalate into bloodshed, the cat now known as Riverstar will have to decide which home he is truly committed to protecting: his new Clan or his old family.

All Things Bright and Beautiful is the beloved sequel to Herriot's first collection, All Creatures Great and Small, and picks up as Herriot, now newly married, journeys among the remote hillside farms and valley towns of the Yorkshire Dales, caring for their inhabitants - both two- and four-legged. Throughout, Herriot's deep compassion, humor, and love of life shine as we laugh, cry, and delight in the portraits of his many varied animal patients and their equally varied owners.

Where did the tree house come from? Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them back to the prehistoric past. Now they have to figure out how to get home. Can they do it before dark, or will they become a dinosaur's dinner?

Fell continues the story begun in The Sight, a story of wolves, dark magic, and an epic struggle between age-old forces. The black wolf Fell now travels alone, padding through the foreboding woods of Transylvania. But then he receives a message from his old eagle friend Skart, and it seems that fate has set Fell's paws on a dangerous path and that grave challenges await him.

The world is more astonishing, more miraculous, and more wonderful than our wildest imaginings. In this brilliant and passionately persuasive book, Katherine Rundell takes us on a globe-spanning tour of the world's most awe-inspiring animals currently facing extinction. This urgent, inspiring book of essays dedicated to 23 unusual and underappreciated creatures is a clarion call insisting that we look at the world around us with new eyes.

Dr. Jan Pol is not your typical veterinarian. Born and raised on a dairy farm in the Netherlands, he is the star of Nat Geo Wild's hit show The Incredible Dr. Pol and has been treating animals in rural Michigan since the 1970s. Dr. Pol's 20,000-plus patients have ranged from white mice to 2,600-pound horses and everything in between.

At the legendary fortress of Salamandastron, aging Lord Asheye has a prophecy: a new, young badger lord must take his place. But Lord Asheye does not know who the young warrior is. Meanwhile, unaware of his destiny, the future lord is captured by infamous fox Vizka Longtooth, who intends to lay siege to Redwall Abbey.

The sixth book in the Dawn of the Clans series takes listeners back to the earliest days of the Clans, when the cats first settled in the forest and began to forge the warrior code. After moons of strife, the forest cats have settled into five camps. But now, the dangerous rogue Slash has kidnapped Clear Sky's mate, Star Flower, and made demands for prey that the cats cannot afford to meet. Desperate to save Star Flower, Clear Sky must convince the other groups - led by Tall Shadow, Wind Runner, Thunder, and River Ripple - to join forces, or their new way of life may not survive.

Zoey discovers a glowing photo and learns an amazing secret. Injured magical animals come to their backyard barn for help. When a sick baby dragon appears, it’s up to Zoey and Sassafras to figure out what’s wrong. Will they be able to help little Marshmallow before it’s too late?

Kate and her younger brother, Tom, lead dull, uninteresting lives. And if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don't have much to look forward to. Why can't Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane - that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she's never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow.

Meet Ricky Ricotta, a little mouse with a big problem! Ricky Ricotta lives in Squeakyville with his mom and dad. Ricky has a hard time making friends at school, and the neighborhood bullies are always picking on him. If only Ricky could find someone to be his best buddy and keep those creepy bullies away! Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a mad scientist named Dr. Stinky McNasty has created a mighty robot who is as gentle as he is powerful. Dr. Stinky plans to make the robot destroy Squeakyville, but there's one little thing in his way: Ricky Ricotta!

The Gruffalo said that no gruffalo should ever set foot in the deep dark wood. But one wild and windy night the Gruffalo's child disobeys her father's warnings and ventures out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn't really exist...does he? Perfect for listening to at home, in the car, at bedtime - or any time at all!

Author Kevin Grange—former paramedic and park ranger at Yellowstone and Grand Teton—comes face-to-face with North America’s most fearsome predator, Ursus Arctos. His quest takes him from his home in the Tetons to an eerie, mist-shrouded island of gigantic bruins; from the Bear Center at Washington State University—where scientists believe the secrets of hibernation might help treat diabetes, heart disease, and obesity in humans—to the dark underbelly of for-profit wildlife parks, illegal animal trade and black markets hawking bear bile.

À la ferme du Manoir, c'est la révolution : les animaux ont pris le pouvoir. Désormais, ils ne travailleront que pour eux-mêmes, et bâtiront ensemble un avenir radieux. Désormais, ils ne connaîtront plus de maître, car tous les animaux sont égaux. Ou, du moins, presque tous... Cette nouvelle traduction restitue toute la verve satirique d'une fable politique magistrale. Tristement intemporelle et terriblement drôle, La Ferme des animaux n'a pas fini de faire réfléchir les Hommes. Traduction Clotilde Meyer

"Do you like solving mysteries? I do! So when my sister, Thea, heard that there was a secret hidden in Mouse Island's most famouse painting, the Mona Mousa, I knew we had to crack the code! We began to investigate, and soon we were following a trail of clues that led us below the streets of New Mouse City. There we made the most fabumouse discovery."

Griffin is just a newborn bat when he falls through an underground fissure into the most dangerous of all places, the Underworld - the land of the dead. Though his father, the heroic Shade, will try to rescue him, Griffin bravely sets off on his own adventure to find the Tree that will take him home. Will he make it? This companion to Silverwing and Sunwing is mesmerizing, full of extraordinary details and vibrant imagery.

The time has come to return to the Dark Forest. ThunderClan’s deputy, Squirreflight, has vanished with the cat now known to be an impostor, sowing suspicion and mistrust among the five clans. The cause of their ancestors’ silence is finally clear - but so is the terrifying truth of the danger they must face if they hope to bring light back to the darkness....

In this sequel to The Last Archer and The First Fowler, Jo Shanks is charged with aiding Emma on her mission to unite the secret citadels in their fight against the Preylord slavers. Alongside Cole and Heyna Blackstar, Jo and Emma must enter into the heart of a community in confusion. Something is wrong at Blackstone Citadel. Can Jo and his friends solve the mystery and enlist Blackstone's aid in time to rendezvous with their allies fighting for the Mended Wood?

At first glance, human history is full of remarkable feats of intelligence. We invented writing. Produced incredible achievements in music, the arts, and the sciences. We’ve built sprawling cities and traveled across oceans—and space—and expanded to every part of the globe. Yet, human exceptionalism can be a double-edged sword. With our unique cognitive prowess comes severe consequences, including existential angst, violence, discrimination, and the creation of a world teetering towards climate catastrophe. Understood side-by-side, human exceptionalism begins to look more like a curse.