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

A beloved storyteller takes young readers - and listeners - to the Green Forest to recount the adventures of Peter Cottontail, Mrs. Quack, Jimmy Skunk, Danny Meadow Mouse, and other woodland friends. Author and conservationist Thornton Burgess (1874-1965) wrote thousands of stories reflecting his fascination with wildlife and concern for nature, teaching generations of children gentle lessons about ecology and respect for the environment.

Peter Rabbit would like to know more about the four-footed friends who share the Green Meadows and Green Forest with him. Old Mother Nature is only too happy to help and holds a "school" for Peter. Along the way, many others of the Green Meadow and Green Forest creatures join Peter at school as he learns about his neighbors. As with all Thornton W. Burgess stories, young listeners gain positive values while learning a great deal about the animals that share their world.

The Burgess Bird Book for Children introduces children to the fascinating subject of bird life in storybook fashion. Thornton Burgess uses Peter Rabbit as a means for younger children to learn about birds in the Green Forest and Green Meadows. On the journey through the book, Peter learns a great deal from sassy Jenny Wren and other neighbors. Listeners learn about common birds' physical appearance, eating, nesting habits, and songs and calls.

“Listen,” whispered Jimmy Skunk to Peter Rabbit as the strange howling sound echoed through the Green Forest. But Peter was listening. He had never heard anything like it. The sound made cold chills run up and down his backbone. What could it be?

When Mr. and Mrs. Bob White come down from the Old Pasture to live beside Peter Rabbit in the Briar Patch, they attract the unwanted attention of some of the predators, like Old Reddy Fox. Through care and cunning, the Bob Whites raise their family of fifteen baby quail and prove to be very welcome neighbors indeed to Farmer Brown and his son.

The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse is a collection of short bedtime stories guaranteed to be loved my children of all ages. These stories chronicle Danny and his friends on many adventures and in their own, sweet animal way, teach us more about what it means to be human.

Grandfather Frog has never left the Smiling Pool. He and Mr. Toad have an ongoing disagreement about whether or not Grandfather Frog should see the Great World or remain isolated in the Smiling Pool. Finally one day, Grandfather Frog decides he will see the Great World for himself. He learns that there are hardships in the Great World that he didn’t anticipate and he must constantly be on alert for dangers not in the Smiling Pool.

Little Joe Otter is playful and full of surprises. Peter Rabbit is curious. Peter is curious why he has not seen Little Joe Otter in the Smiling Pool? Wait! Did Peter just see two Little Joe Otters in the Smiling Pool? While Peter is trying to determine if there is indeed more than one Little Joe Otter, he learns some other lessons from the times "when the world was young" from Grandfather Frog and others.

When the adventurous Walter Upton and Hal Harrison set out with the young, but expert guide Louis Woodhull on a canoe trip through the wilderness, they were disappointed to take on an excitable Tenderfoot with them as their fourth. The boys had no idea what sorts of surprises awaited them from Nature, History, and even themselves.

Lightfoot the Deer is a story about animals in the Green Forest that are hunted in the fall. The story is mostly about Lightfoot, a male deer hunted by one hunter and describes how he tries to escape being shot. The story tells Lightfoot's encounter with another buck and a battle for territory and the lovely, Miss Daintyfoot. As with most Thornton Burgess books, young listeners learn valuable lessons about nature, wildlife, and positive morals.

The Adventures of Johnny Chuck tells the story of a feisty woodchuck named Johnny. Johnny decides he is unhappy with his home in the Green Forest and elects to venture into the wide, wide world. As he wanders he gets into a territory fight with another chuck, discovers a new home, learns there is some good in all, and discovers the most wonderful thing in the world.

In The Adventures of 'Unc Billy Possum, 'Unc Billy is a new arrival in the Green Forest. He finds he is lonesome in his new home. His almost uncontrollable urge for fresh eggs gets him in trouble with Farmer Brown's boy, and he soon discovers that he has good friends in the Green Forest.

Whitefoot the Woodmouse is the story of one of the Green Forest's most timid creatures. Whitefoot is always on the lookout for predators since he is one of the smallest and most vulnerable creatures in the Green Forest. Whitefoot discovers that sometimes those he considers to be an enemy may turn out to be a friend. He also discovers the meaning of love.

Mother West Wind's Animal Friends is the first in the series of Mother West Wind books by Thornton W. Burgess. In this book, we learn about the Merry Little Breezes of Mother West Wind, are introduced to Prickly Porky, and discover that Peter Rabbit tends to get into more trouble than he should. We also get more of Grandfather Frog's "when the world was young" fables. Like all Thornton Burgess books, there are good moral lessons for young readers and listeners. Each story is about five to 10 minutes in length which makes them ideal bedtime stories.

The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp is the first of Thornton Burgess' Boy Scout books. It features Walter, a scout who has never been to camp. Walter and his fellow scouts experience new adventures. They discover and appreciate people of different backgrounds. As with all Thornton Burgess books, the author promotes good moral lessons for the young reader and listener.

Old Granny Fox was a wise old fox who lived with her grandson Reddy. Reddy is young and impulsive and gets into a great deal of trouble because of this. So Granny must teach him the lessons of nature if he is to survive. The practical lessons about theft, gratitude and kindness that Granny teaches Reddy, as in all Thornton Burgess books, promote these virtues to young children listening to this book.

This collection of ten classic rabbit tales will surely delight any “bunny” big or small. An adventure awaits you in every story written by some of the best-known children’s authors. Come along for the journey; it’s just a hop, skip and jump away!

The Adventures of Bobby Coon follows a raccoon whose dead hollow tree is cut down by Farmer Brown and his son. Both are unaware that Bobby is sleeping in it. When Bobby Coon is injured, Farmer Brown’s boy nurses him back to health. Once healthy, he is released back into nature and goes in search of a new home, which is not as easy as he thought it would be.

The Adventures of Buster Bear follows a bear who has moved from the Great Woods to the Green Forest. Unknown to the little people of the Green Forest, Buster Bear, although is big and has a grumbly rumbly voice is actually very shy. As with most Burgess books, there is a positive morale to the story.

"The Adventures of Reddy Fox" is another in the series of children's stories by conservationist Thornton W. Burgess. In this story, Reddy and Granny Fox must outsmart Farmer Brown's Boy who is out to get Reddy for stealing his pet chicken. Along the way, Reddy encounters many of the citizens of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest and with him we learn little lessons about life such as: the perils of being a show off; the importance of using all of one's senses.