Showing results by publisher "Recorded Books" in Animals & Nature

Many dogs have human owners. Not this dog. He fetches his own slippers, curls up at his own feet and gives himself a good scratch. But there is one spot, in the middle of his back, that he just can't reach. So one day, he lets a human scratch it. And the poor little chap follows him home. What can the dog do but get a lead, so he can take the chap around? Dog lovers of all ages will revel in the humorous role-reversal as this dog teaches his human all the skills he needs to be a faithful companion.

Meet Minerva, a doggie who's been very naughty today, as her parents would say. She ripped all the stuffing out of dad's comfiest chair, she peeled off wallpaper, she knocked over the milk, and she even poked her poor brother. But despite all her mischief, no one is paying any attention to her. What does a cute little Boston terrier like Minerva have to do to get noticed?

In Bearstone, 14-year-old Cloyd Atcitty watched as a hunter killed what he thought was the last grizzly bear in Colorado. In this sequel, Cloyd continues his quest to find grizzlies in the mountains. Exploring the Weminuche Wilderness, Cloyd finds a pair of orphaned grizzly cubs. He must draw on his courage, determination, and Ute Indian heritage to teach them how to live in the wild. With winter approaching and food growing scarce, Cloyd must not only ensure the survival of the bears, but return to civilization before starvation and cold kill him.

The New York Times best-selling children’s author Karma Wilson has won many prizes such as the National Parenting Publications Children’s Resource Gold Award. Her story Bear Wants More is a Children’s Book-of-the-Month Club Featured Selection. It’s springtime and Bear is waking up from his winter nap. He hasn’t had any food in a long time. Bear is HUNGRY! John McDonough’s exuberant narration will be loved by all young listeners hungry for a good story.

Froggy wakes up to a beautiful day. The sun is shining. Butterflies and birds fill the air. To top it all off, he and his father are going for a bike ride. Froggy hops out of bed - flop, flop - and gets dressed - zap, zip, zoop! Then he shouts, "I’m re-e-a-d-y!" But before they can go, Froggy must find his helmet. Then he can’t remember where he put his butterfly net. And he’s getting hungry. Will Froggy and his father ever go bike riding? Young listeners who sometimes lose their favorite toys or clothes will enjoy hearing about Froggy’s hilarious search for his mislaid things.

Ollie won’t come out of his egg - he’s waiting. Gossie and Gertie desperately want Ollie to come out. Ollie rolls around, stands on his head, and finally rolls right out of his nest, but he won’t come out of his shell. Olivier Dunrea often writes about the farm animals that surrounded him when he was growing up, including this hilarious trio of goslings. Ollie, a story of friendship, patience and independence, complements its predecessors Gossie and Gossie and Gertie.

Coleen Salley’s wonderful Epossumondas books are audio treats for young listeners. Mama is preparing a birthday cake for her sweet patootie, when she realizes she’s out of baking soda. So she sends two friends to the store to help out, but neither returns because they get swallowed by a huge snapping turtle. Mama then ventures out herself, only to meet the same fate. Now it’s up to Epossumondas to save the day and rescue everyone

Award-winning author Jim Murphy whisks you back in time to witness the disastrous 1871 Chicago fire. He depicts the tragedy so vividly, you can almost feel the scorching heat and hear the roar of the blaze as it reduces the bustling city to a smoldering wasteland.

One day, Annie and Henry - together with their furry friends Snowball and Mudge - see a beautiful hummingbird. It's darting and hovering near Annie's flowers - especially the pink petunias. They love watching it each day. But they wonder how they can encourage their tiny visitor to return after the sweet-smelling blooms wither and die.

Erica Silverman's Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa books have received widespread acclaim for their witty rhyming, clever wordplay, and heartwarming lessons. This time around, Cowgirl Kate and her faithful horse Cocoa are venturing onto the farm in the pouring rain. Kate's prepared, but now Cocoa's not sure he wants to even go outside. These two inseparable friends delight young listeners with their playful - and this time, wet - antics.

Annie's birthday is coming up, and she plans to have a dress-up party. She looks forward to wearing ribbons, bows, lace, and fancy little shoes. But when the guests arrive � including Henry and Mudge � Annie learns that different people dress up in different ways.

Award-winning children's author Carolyn Crimi teaches a lesson on the importance of reading. Henry likes his books much more than his pirating duties aboard the Salty Carrot. Fearsome captain Barnacle Black Ear and the other shipmates scold, tease, and try to shame Henry into giving up his books. But only Henry can show this crusty crew how to survive after they are shipwrecked.

Cowboy Ned's birthday is tomorrow, and he's sad because nobody is around to celebrate. To cheer him up, his good friend Andy the horse journeys into the desert to find some birthday cake. But when Andy finds a banjo-playing cowboy who is as old as the hills, he learns something very important about birthdays.

Ever since Unicorn moved into the neighborhood, Goat has been feeling out of sorts. Goat thought his bike was cool--until he saw that Unicorn could "fly" to school! Goat made marshmallow squares that almost came out right, but Unicorn made it rain cupcakes! Unicorn is such a show-off, how can Goat compete? When Goat and Unicorn share a piece of pizza, Goat learns that being a unicorn might not be all it's cracked up to be. And when Unicorn shows his admiration for Goat, it looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Emily Arnold McCully won a Caldecott Medal for her book Mirette on the High Wire. In Wonder Horse, McCully crafts a charming tale based on the true story of Doc Key and his remarkable horse, Jim. When Doc Key decides to breed a racehorse, what he gets is a foal with weak legs yet an unusually sharp mind. So Doc decides to teach his horse some new tricks - including reading and writing.

Two adorably floppy dogs confront unexpected change in this endearing picture book from two-time Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee Boot and Shoe were born into the same litter, and now they live in the same house. They eat out of the same bowl, pee on the same tree, and sleep in the same bed. But they spend their days apart - Boot on the back porch because he's a back porch kind of dog, and Shoe on the front porch because he's a front porch kind of dog. This is exactly perfect for them. But then a crazy neighborhood squirrel arrives...and everything goes topsy-turvy!

Is it possible to start afresh when you're thoroughly weighted down? Seventeen pounds. That's the difference between Abigail Walker and Kristen Gorzca. Between chubby and slim, between teased and taunting. Abby is fine with her body and sick of seventeen pounds making her miserable, so she speaks out against Kristen and her groupies - and becomes officially unpopular. Embracing her new status, Abby heads to an abandoned lot across the street and crosses an unfamiliar stream that leads her to a boy who's as different as they come.

For thousands of years, the notion of dragons has struck fear in the hearts of men and women all over the world. The ancient Egyptians believed there was a dragon of darkness that attacked the sun god each day, and in Norway people thought that a dragon gnawed at the roots of the tree that sustained all life on Earth. Around the globe, dragons have been depicted as everything from massive, winged, fire-breathing creatures to beasts sporting a camel’s head, deer’s horns, rabbit’s eyes, and eagle’s claws! Dragons might hoard treasure in caves, or they might be responsible for floods and the death of livestock.

Six-year-old April is very sad. She dearly loves her silky black cat, Sheba, and its three newborn kittens. But April and her parents live in a small New York apartment where there is room for only one cat. Which one should she choose? Listeners of all ages will be delighted by the gentle solution to April’s problem. A wonderful antidote to the sharp edges of everyday life, Clare Turlay Newberry’s award-winning book is filled with tenderness, longing, and joy. Narrator Barbara Caruso’s warm tones convey all the spirit and love of this unforgettable tale.

In this delightful tale by Newbery Award winner Cynthia Rylant, Mr. Putter doesn't share Mrs. Teaberry's enthusiasm for a class on 100 ways to cook beans. And yet - finding it hard to say no to his kind friend - he attends the class with her anyhow, expecting to be bored.