Animal Science

The perfect gift for fans of All Creatures Great and Small, this is a charming collection of classic stories from James Herriot’s much-loved books with insights into his life and work from his children Rosie and Jim. With astute observations and boundless humour, country vet Herriot captures the spirit of the Yorkshire Dales and of rural communities on the cusp of change, before tractors and machines had taken over and modern medicines and antibiotics transformed veterinary work.

Who takes dust baths? Who wallows in the mud? Who basks in the sun? Try to pick up on the unique habits of different animals.

Joseph the Bellmaker is troubled. It has been four seasons since his warrior-mouse daughter, Mariel, and her companion, Dandin, set off from Redwall to fight evil in Mossflower. Nothing has been heard of them since. Then one night, in a dream, the legendary Martin the Warrior comes to the Bellmaker with a mysterious message. Clearly, Mariel and Dandin are in grave danger. Joseph and four Redwallers set off at once to aid them. As they push over land and sea, they cannot know the terrible threats they face: the impossible Foxwolf, Urgan Nagru, his mate Silvamord, and their army.

The rivalry between Gray Wing and Clear Sky has driven a bitter wedge between the forest cats. As Thunder and Gray Wing struggle to find a peaceful path for the future, tensions are growing. What began as a misunderstanding between two brothers has spread far and wide - and now every mountain cat, rogue, and kittypet in the forest will be forced to pick a side.

The last winged horses are on the brink of extinction. At a sanctuary for threatened creatures, the home of a young dragon rider and his silver dragon, three foals lie curled up in their eggs. The foals are in great danger, and the only cure seems to be the sun-feather of a griffin. But griffins, creatures with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, are a dragon's fiercest enemy, and they live far across the world in the sweltering jungle. A dangerous and exciting adventure begins....

Ocean animals' special features help them survive in all parts of their watery homes, from the deep dark depths to busy coral reefs. Learn all about the amazing adaptations of ocean animals.

Dog owners know that dogs can be trained, but the idea of training rarely crosses cat owners' minds. But as best-selling anthrozoologist John Bradshaw and cat expert Sarah Ellis show, not only can cats be trained, but they absolutely should be to ensure a happy and healthy relationship between pet and owner. Once we comprehend cats' emotions and needs, we can train them to overcome their natural fears and anxieties.

Emma Gray was just 23 when she moved to an isolated farm in Northumberland, becoming Britain's youngest solo shepherdess. In the seasons that followed, Emma fell in love with its rolling fields, sycamore trees and sturdy farmhouse, where she tended her sheep and trained her dogs - and even found romance along the way. But when Emma finds herself suddenly alone again, heartbroken, mourning the loss of loved ones and recovering from a serious accident, she can't help but wonder if her isolated existence is still such a sensible idea.

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.

Set just before the events of the books in A Vision of Shadows, this Super Edition follows Hawkwing, deputy of SkyClan, on a journey that will change the fate of all five warrior Clans. The cats of SkyClan are facing a darkness unlike any they have seen before. Their only hope is to seek out the kin of Firestar, the cat who once brought their Clan back from obscurity. But even if they find the other four warrior Clans, SkyClan’s time in the gorge territory may truly be at an end....

Shade, a young silverwing bat, is searching the countryside for his father when he discovers a huge glass building. When he flies inside, he finds a forest haven where, safe from predatory owls, hundreds of bats are finally living in the sunlight. But when he tries to find an exit, Shade quickly realizes that instead of a paradise, the building is really a prison.

Mary Roach meets Sam Kean and Bill Bryson in this uproarious tour of the basest instincts and biggest mysteries of the animal world. In The Truth About Animals, Lucy Cooke takes us on a worldwide journey to meet everyone from a Colombian hippo castrator to a Chinese panda porn peddler, all to lay bare the secret - and often hilarious - habits of the animal kingdom. Charming and at times downright weird, this modern bestiary is perfect for anyone who has ever suspected that virtue might be unnatural.

ThunderClan’s leader, Bramblestar, has been behaving erratically after losing one of his nine lives, and suspicion is quickly spreading across Clan borders. And when a strange apparition sparks unrest in SkyClan and ShadowClan, each warrior must decide where their allegiances lie - with their Clan, or the warrior code itself.

America's Great Plains once possessed one of the grandest wildlife spectacles of the world, equaled only by such places as the Serengeti, the Masai Mara, or the veld of South Africa. Pronghorn antelope, gray wolves, bison, coyotes, wild horses, and grizzly bears: less than 200 years ago these creatures existed in such abundance that John James Audubon was moved to write "it is impossible to describe or even conceive the vast multitudes of these animals".

Who dives for food, and who traps food? Who hunts in packs, and who picks food using their tongue? Dig in to find out how animals eat.

Introduces a variety of sounds and types of communications that are made by animals.

Skunks are stinky and smelly. But why?

Penguins glide, slide, and dive. Find out what else these birds can do!

Dark, quiet places like barns are these owls' favorite hideouts. Just don't disturb barn owls, or they'll hiss and shriek! Learn more about these pale nighttime hunters.

You can't recycle a banana peel...can you? Learn about how composting your food scraps, egg cartons, and other wastes helps make Earth a greener place.