Showing results by publisher "Recorded Books" in Animals

Ever since his mother died and his father went to Brazil for a scientific expedition, 14-year-old Jacob Lansa has been staying with his grandfather in Poughkeepsie. He longs to join his father and help him set up a jaguar preserve in the rain forest, but he can't miss school. When his father invites him down over spring break, he jumps at the chance.

Award-winning Karma Wilson, author of Bear Snores On, has created the delightful Hilda Hippo - a hippo who loves to dance despite all the noise she makes while doing so. It’s just that the Ka-bump! Ka-bump! Crash! Crash! Crash! noises disturb her jungle friends. Maybe Hilda could take up knitting? But knitting doesn’t quite suit the would-be ballerina. Perhaps she and her friends can find some sort of compromise!

A terrible secret is making the Ferocious Beast sit next to the River of Dreams and cry. Maggie and Hamilton Hocks want to help. "Tell us your secret and then you’ll feel better," they urge their sad friend. "Sometimes I get scared," the Ferocious Beast finally admits. But what could frighten a big, ferocious beast? Is it something worse than sea monsters, ghosts, and spaceships from another galaxy? These are the things that scare Maggie and Hamilton, even though they’ve never seen them. But how can they get the Ferocious Beast to tell them his fears?

Mr. Pin, a rock hopper penguin from the South Pole, loves to solve mysteries in the windy city of Chicago. There’s only one thing Mr. Pin likes better—eating yummy chocolate. That’s why his detective office is in the back room of Smiling Sally’s Diner, where the chocolate syrup is stored. With the help of his young friend Maggie, and tasty candy snacks, he makes Chicago a safer place.

Henry and his big dog, Mudge, like to play outside. But when a thunderstorm begins, Mudge is unhappy. He wants to go inside. He wants to hide from the loud thunder and sharp lightning. Soon the storm is very windy and noisy, and the lights have gone out. As Mudge hides his head in the sofa, Henry and his parents light candles and play cards. Then, armed with a flashlight, Henry goes on a rescue mission.

Erethizon Dorsatum—better known as Ereth, the self-centered, foul-tempered old porcupine—is having a birthday. And he fully expects his best friend Poppy, a deer mouse, to help him celebrate in a grand manner. But Poppy has gone off somewhere with her husband, Rye, and it appears she has forgotten all about it. "Belching Beavers," says Ereth, "I am not angry!" (Though perhaps he is—and more than just a little.)

Mrs. Teaberry announces that she's starting a knitting club, and Mr. Putter is happy to help out. But disaster strikes when Tabby and Zeke want to pitch in, too: Mrs. Fitzwater's sweater completely unravels, and the whole afternoon ends up in quite a tangle.

Sitting on the porch with his Great Dane, Mudge, Henry watches a man and a collie walk by. As the collie obeys the man’s commands to sit, lie down, and stay, Henry looks at Mudge and thinks about the things Mudge knows how to do: drool, sleep, and jump up on company.

In January, there’s a lot of snow on the ground. One day when Henry and his big dog Mudge go outside to play, they see a sign in a store window. It says: SNOWMAN CONTEST, SATURDAY AT THE PARK. Henry runs home to tell his dad.

Old Mr. Putter and old Mrs. Teaberry are neighbors. When Mrs. Teaberry hurts her foot, Mr. Putter and his cat, Tabby, offer to walk her little dream dog, Zeke, for a week. But Zeke is no dream dog. Zeke is a nightmare. On the first day, he drags Mr. Putter and Tabby through the neighborhood. On the second day, he wraps them around trees. On the third day, he chases big dogs until the big dogs turn around and chase them.

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?

A trip to the museum with Pinky’s dad and his sister, Amanda, puts Pinky and Rex’s friendship to the test. Will their friendship survive when both youngsters set their sights on the same stuffed animal at the museum gift shop?

In this allegorical picture book, a young rabbit named Pancho eagerly awaits his papa's return. Papa Rabbit traveled north two years ago to find work in the great carrot and lettuce fields to earn money for his family. When Papa does not return, Pancho sets out to find him. He packs Papa's favorite meal- mole, rice and beans, a heap of warm tortillas, and a jug of aguamiel-and heads north. He meets a coyote, who offers to help Pancho in exchange for some of Papa's food.

Thirteen-year-old Josh McGuire knows an orphaned bear cub he's found will be given to researchers if the game warden tracks it to his dog house. Instead, he runs away with the cub to the mountains, vowing to protect it until hunting laws are changed. But the Montana wilderness is a dangerous place, and saving the cub's life may cost Josh his own.

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.

When Henry and his big dog Mudge see a spy kit for sale, they know right away that it’s time to break open the piggy bank. With their spy hat and magnifying glass and secret code card, Henry and Mudge can flirt with danger, steal secrets, and start cracking codes.

The 300 dogs of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, all know their places. At the top is McKinley, a malamute who’s head dog of the whole town. All of the dogs - and McKinley’s human family - rely on him to protect them and maintain order. Avi, the Newbery Medal author of Crispin: The Cross of Lead, peeks into the secret lives of dogs in this thrilling adventure tale. Robert Ramirez’s narration gives voice to a dog willing to risk any peril to do the good thing.

Many children understand April's dilemma when her cat, Sheba, has three kittens. April is thrilled until her father insists that theirs is strictly a one-cat household. April must give up three cats, but which ones? The aptly named Charcoal? Tiger-striped Butch? Sweet-faced Brenda?—or even Sheba?

This year, Henry and Mudge are out to make the best Mother’s Day lunch ever. It has to be juicy, crunchy, and perfect for family sharing. When they select a gorgeous golden pineapple, the menu is shaping up to be anything but dull. Dad is helping them carve something almost too pretty to eat. So how will Henry ever stop Mudge from devouring the surprise before Mom sees it?

Pinky’s parents have called a family meeting. They want to decide what kind of pet they will have. Pinky wants a dog; his little sister, Amanda, wants a cat. The parents also vote for a cat. So the very next day the family gets a kitten. Although Amanda gives the kitten hugs and says it is hers, the kitten has other plans. It’s not long before Pinky and the playful kitten share a secret - one that could hurt Amanda’s feelings. What should he do?