Showing results by author "Thornton W Burgess" in All Categories

Peter Rabbit was on his way back from the pond of Paddy the Beaver deep in the Green Forest. He had just seen Mr. and Mrs. Quack start toward the Big River for a brief visit before leaving on their long, difficult journey to the far-away Southland. Farewells are always rather sad, and this particular farewell had left Peter with a lump in his throat, a queer, choky feeling.

We are brought on a couple of adventures with Walter Upton and his Boy Scout friends, this time in Winter. In The Boy Scouts in a Trappers' Camp, the boys learn a whole new set of skills and have to show their greatest level of bravery yet. This is the fourth, and final book in the Boy Scouts' adventures, and does a wonderful job of showing the value that Scouting has brought to their lives in skills they will always have, wisdom upon which they can always build, and memories that they will always cherish.

Walter Upton again sets out with a group of boys on a great adventure in the North Woods, this time on foot. They've heard of a trail that had been used in the days of the settlers, and are seeking to locate and map it all the way to Canada. Their journey will test the skills they have, as well as learn new ones as they develop from boys to men, and learn to handle situations they never considered.

In the early days of Boy Scouts of America, the focus was on building men from the boys. The boys learned honor, discipline, brotherhood, and the many facets of Woodcraft: the skills needed to survive and thrive in the wild. Walter Upton comes to this remote camp eager to put his "book learning" to use. He learns that, though the information in the books has some value, real learning comes from experience in the wilderness and from striving alongside his fellow Scouts.

The Adventures of Peter Cottontail recounts the hijinks of one of the most endearing and beloved creatures in children's literature. Full of mischief (and then remorse), Peter has exploits that are delightfully recognizable to anyone who has children and will surely tickle yet another generation of young readers. Peter Cottontail's efforts to outwit the ever-hungry Reddy Fox lead to a number of whisker-thin escapes, and his fascination with the hibernation of some of his neighbors, such as Johnny Chuck, leads to his decision to hibernate . . . with riotous consequences.

Thornton Waldo Burgess (January 14, 1874 – June 5, 1965) was a conservationist and author of children's stories. He loved the beauty of nature and its living creatures so much that he wrote about them for 50 years. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books. Many of his outdoor observations in nature were used as plots for his stories. In his first book, "Old Mother West Wind," published in 1910, the reader meets many of the characters found in later books and stories.

Tuktu and her brother, Aklak, are Eskimo children who live happily with their beloved reindeer in the Northland. When Tuktu is lost in a fog, she meets Santa Claus or the Good Spirit as she knows him. This generous little girl wants to share her reindeer with the children of the world and so works to help Santa on his annual Christmas journey.

As the days grow colder, little Whitefoot the Wood Mouse decides it is time to find a warm, safe place to spend the winter. The happy little creature finds the perfect spot in Farmer Brown's barn, where he meets a friendly stranger, tumbles into a life-threatening situation, and learns the meaning of the word "trust."

There's nothing that sly troublemaker Sammy Jay likes better than stealing corn - unless it's playing tricks on the other animals in the forest. Yet Chatterer the Red Squirrel would like to keep his corn, thank you very much, and while he's at it prove he is just as smart as Sammy Jay! Thornton Burgess takes us once again into the charming world of the Green Forest and Green Meadows in this delightful story.

Farmer Brown's boy, Little Joe Otter, and the residents of the Green Forest have to adjust when a new animal, Buster Bear, comes to live there. Is he a fearsome beast or a friendly neighbor? An enemy or a local hero? In this collection of stories, everyone struggles to understand the ways of this unexpected newcomer, as he comes to find his place among them.

Peter Rabbit and Jimmy Skunk are two of the biggest pranksters in the Green Forest. But when Peter Rabbit plays a prank that goes awry, everyone gets a lesson in why Jimmy Skunk is better left alone! As Peter Rabbit, Reddy Fox and Unc' Billy Possum all learn, Jimmy Skunk can be a temperamental beast, and one can get into a good bit of trouble by crossing him.Children will delight in these warm, whimsical adventures that combine all the interest and excitement of a good story with gentle lessons about nature, wildlife and such virtues as courtesy, kindness, and preparedness.

Old Mister Toad is in a hurry! But why? Nobody knows, so all the animals set off looking for him and find him singing in the pond. Peter Rabbit never knew Old Mr. Toad could sing! Quickly, all the animals learn why they should heed his song, and in time, Peter Rabbit learns many, many things that he didn't know about Old Mr. Toad and his children. But Mr. Toad has things of his own to learn, too, and dangers to watch out for!

When Paddy the Beaver moves into the Green Forest and wants to build his home, he never quite expected it would cause so much commotion! Being a focal point of attention, the forest animals watch him carefully and scrutinized his work, make fun of and question his building project, someone screams at him saying unkind things, and one forest animal sets his sights on hunting him to have him for lunch! That's an awful lot for a little beaver to overcome - do you think he can do it?