Classic Nature

The big old dog wants to play. Can the little boy make him go away?

The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of The Further Tales of Peter Rabbit, a new tale written and read by Emma Thompson. Peter’s adventures here take him beyond the boundaries of Mr McGregor’s garden all the way to Scotland, where he meets the gentle giant Finlay McBurney, a distant Scottish relative, and much entertainment ensues. Emma Thompson, Oscar-winning actress and screen writer, is a long time admirer of Beatrix Potter’s tales.

Meryl Streep reads this enchanting tale by Beatrix Potter. The curious and disobedient Peter Rabbit learns that indeed he should have listened to his mother's warning about Mr. McGregor's garden. Ages five and up will appreciate why this story has captured the imaginations of children around the world for years. It comes packaged with a second story, The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, which is also read by Meryl Streep.

It was the middle of winter and very, very cold. The mice of Brambly Hedge forecasted snow. And they were right. In the morning they awoke to find their doors and windows hidden behind deep drifts. There hadn't been snow like this for years. "There's enough for a Snow Ball!" cried the mice with glee, and set to work in the time-honoured way to make an Ice Hall for the festivities. The little mice watched wide-eyed as all the preparations were made. Then at last everything was ready, and the Ball could begin.…

"The Ugly Duckling" is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. When the tale begins, a mother duck's eggs hatch. One of the little birds is perceived by the other birds and animals on the farm as a homely little creature and suffers much verbal and physical abuse from them. He wanders sadly from the barnyard and lives with wild ducks and geese until hunters slaughter the flocks. He finds a home with an old woman but her cat and hen tease him mercilessly and again he sets off on his own. He sees a flock of migrating wild swans; he is delighted and excited but he cannot join them for he is too young and cannot fly.

Given as a Christmas gift to a young boy, the Velveteen Rabbit lives in the nursery with all the other toys, waiting for the day when the boy will choose the wisest resident of the nursery, who reveals the goal of all nursery toys: to be made "real" through the love of a human.

No thanks to his naughty cat Simpkin, the tailor of Gloucester has no more twisted silk thread to finish the coat he has promised the mayor for his wedding on Christmas day. With the help of some special friends, the tailor finds that a kind favor is returned.

This is a story from the Grimm's Fairy Tales collection.

"The Little Red Hen" is a time-tested folk tale about how we reap what we sow. When the hen asks a cat, dog, and mouse for help planting some wheat, she gets no takers. They won't water, cut, or grind the wheat or help bake a cake with it. So guess who eats the cake in the end? Fun and delightful narration by Daniel Lawson.

Valuable lessons can be learned from the mischievous and disobedient Peter Rabbit as he ignores his mother’s warning about Mr. McGregor and his vegetable garden. As Peter gets into trouble, he’ll have to ask for help to find a way home. Explore the other characters in Beatrix Potter’s enchanted world with several other stories about Peter’s animal friends. These timeless children’s classics provide kids with tales about values, morals, and virtue.

Classic Starts: The stories are abridged; the quality is complete. Classic Starts treats the world's beloved tales (and children) with the respect they deserve. Here is the ultimate dog story, one filled with emotion, adventure, and excitement. During the Gold Rush, Buck is snatched away from his peaceful home and brought to the harsh and bitter Yukon to become a sled dog. Will he adapt, and learn to trust men?

Each year along the Eastern seacoast, the wild ponies of Assateague Island are driven across a narrow strip of ocean to Chincoteague. There the shaggy, untamed ponies are sold. When young Paul and Maureen Beebe rescue a drowning newborn foal, they take her home to nearby Pony Farm. Now the foal has grown into their free-spirited pony, Misty, and has been the subject of a popular children's book.

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! Sal and her mother are picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter. Meanwhile Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?

Salten's most famous work is Bambi (1923), or Bambi, in the Woods, also known as Bambi: A Life in the Woods. It was translated into English in 1928 and became a Book-of-the-Month Club success, and then formed the basis of the 1942 animated Disney classic, Bambi.

In this charming classic story, Harry, the little white dog with black spots, runs away before bath time and plays outside until he changes into a black dog with white spots.

Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, and all their friends have been delighting children, and grown-up children, for a long, long time, since about last Friday! He may be a Bear of Very Little Brain, but he certainly has A Lot of Pluck and a Big Heart.

Deep in the rain forests of the Amazon jungle, a village of very lazy people wishes to do nothing but lie in their hammocks and think great thoughts. One day, a mysterious man arrives who is able to create monkeys that do absolutely everything for them. Soon, the monkeys multiply and take on every human activity - including complaining.

Blacky the Crow is a mischief maker. He has very sharp eyes and sees things he shouldn't. They often get him into trouble. Blacky loves eggs. One day he discovers that Hooty the Owl and Mrs. Hooty have laid eggs in a nest when there is still snow on the ground. Blacky devises a plan with his fellow crows to steal them. Later, we find out that Blacky has a good side too. As with all Thornton W. Burgess books, there are positive messages for young listeners.

This is a collection of heartwarming short stories about a courageous border collie that lived in what was called The Place on Sunnybank Farm near Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. Lad was a real-life dog, but author Terhune took liberties to tell fictional tales about his favorite pet.

Les parents du narrateur n'ont jamais aimé la vie à la campagne. Lui adore aller dans la vieille ferme de son grand-père et jouer dans la grange, sur le vieux tracteur. Il aime écouter Grand-Père parler de son enfance de petit paysan : il parle de son père et de Joey, le cheval que celui-ci a sauvé de la mort pendant la Première Guerre mondiale. Mais parfois Grand-Père devient triste et silencieux. Son petit-fils sent que quelque chose le tourmente... Quel est le secret de Grand-Père ? Et comment peut-il l'aider ?