Showing results by publisher "Recorded Books" in Animals

Best known for his best-selling novel, Babe, which was made into a major motion picture, Dick King-Smith draws on his over 14 years of experience on Woodlands Farm to create this thoughtful and humorous memoir. His time on the farm inspired countless stories as well as the numerous lovable characters found in them. In Chewing the Cud, he candidly talks about what moved him to become a children’s author.

In the early years of our country, a poor school teacher, Justin Morgan, receives a horse and her tiny colt in payment for some work. He wishes he had been given money instead. Hoping that he might sell both horses for a fair price, he asks his student, Joel, to break in the colt. To his surprise, young Joel soon discovers that this small, brown creature has special abilities: "Bub" can pull more than a team of oxen, and he can run faster than a racehorse.

Before Carl Linnaeus began classifying organisms, before John James Audubon drew birds from the wild, before Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution, there lived a 13-year-old girl named Maria Merian who loved to draw bugs. With no formal training or university education, Maria Merian took on the role of artist, adventurer, and scientist in 17th-century Europe - a time when women were rarely allowed responsibilities outside the home, and unusual interests led to accusations of witchcraft.

Our story begins with a challenge: The Trials of Hairy-Clees are only for the bravest and most awesome gods of all. Who among them will become the ultimate champion? The pets of Mount Olympus Pet Center are a true team: They conquer epic quests as easily as Ares the pug scarfs down mutt nuggets, and they vanquish enemies who are pricklier than the spines on Poseidon the pufferfish. But when a chicken named Hermes shows up one day, things take a turn, and before the team knows it, the Oracle has spoken and the mysterious Trials of Hairy-Clees begin!

The Chicken Squad is back for their fourth (mis)adventure, and this time they're facing their darkest mystery yet: shadows!

Raj can’t find his cat. The cat’s name is Blue, but he is actually a gray cat with dark stripes and yellow eyes. Blue doesn’t go outside, and all the doors were closed. Where could Blue be?

The newest adventure in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series: do YOU have what it takes to catch the most unique creature yet? The How to Catch Kids are at it again! When one of them is about to gain a new sibling, the team tries to trap the Babysaurus — a curious little creature who loves adventure and learning new things! But will the Babysaurus be a nuisance or your new best friend? The perfect gift for new siblings ages 4-10, this fun dinosaur picture book is filled with silly rhymes and illustrations sure to delight young readers and parents alike.

Willow Feathers McBeaver, aka Detective Duck, is a crime-solving (and very precocious) little duck. She and her animal pals live on Dogwood Pond, a beautiful pond in New England adjacent to Lazy Days, a human campground. Dogwood Pond has always been a pristine spot with clear water, abundant wildlife, and shady willow trees, but now it is encountering puzzling problems—mysteries that arise from human-caused disruptions in nature, such as water pollution, refuse, warming climate, and human encroachment.

Gary W. Boone knows he was born to be a stand-up comedian. It’s the rest of the kids in his class who think he’s just a goon. Then the Floyd Hicks Junior High School Talent Show is announced, and he starts practicing his routine nonstop to get it just right. Gary’s sure this will be his big break—he’ll make everyone laugh and win the $100 prize. But when an outrageous surprise threatens to turn his debut into a disaster, it looks as if the biggest joke of all may be on Gary himself.

"Even the smallest spark can set the darkest night ablaze." Twig never imagined himself at the center of anything important—let alone a battle for the fate of the Woodland Realm. But when his peaceful village is attacked by the ruthless Fortress Crows, the young chickadee finds himself on the run, hunted by a terrifying sorceress and her winged army. Thankfully, he’s not alone.

There is nowhere Maya feels more happy and at home than in the sea. The water washes her worries away; there are countless wonders to experience and creatures to learn from. The dolphins show her how to be a stronger swimmer, the sea turtles make her feel calm, and the humpback whale inspires her to be mighty. But when Maya starts to notice plastic pollution and coral destruction, she realizes that her ocean home is in danger—and it’s up to her to take action.

Leif lives above his parents’ café, and his green thumb has turned his bedroom into a jungle. Begonias, ferns, ivy, peperomias—his plants twist and twine around the furniture and creep and crawl across the walls. Leif’s parents worry he’s gone overboard, but Leif knows he can never have too many houseplants. But then important things begin to go missing in the overgrowth, and Leif must find a way to make his plants a little less—and maybe share a little more.

The Catch Club Kids are at it again! This time, they're out to trap the Daddysaurus—a mystical creature capable of such amazing acts of kindness, bravery, brilliance and humor. The kids try to trap the creature with all his favorite activities, but will they succeed? Maybe all they need is a little sweetness to make this awesome Daddysaurus appear! T

The second installment of the hilarious series for fans of Mercy Watson Frank the loveable but salty cat and his corgi sidekick Sunny are back! This time Frank falls head over heels in love with a deeply mysterious “masked cat” who he spies rooting through the garbage cans. Frank, Sunny, and new pal (an irascible parrot who is visiting) try hilariously to help Frank through his moony crush. On a Raccoon. (But Frank doesn’t know that.)

David Dixon is full of big, messy, wacky, wonderful ideas. Today he has the Best Idea Ever: bring in his new dachshund puppy, Bandit, for show-and-tell. But when it’s time to present, Bandit escapes! David races off to find him, but as he’s searching, David turns into a dachshund himself! As dogs, he and Bandit have a blast. They raid the cafeteria pantry, jump in a soapy sink, and run around the playground. But when the school janitor chases them and David can’t change back, he starts to wonder whether this was a big, messy, wacky, wonderful idea—or just a big mess.

I bet you've seen a furry gray animal scurrying across the highway late at night—you know, the one with the pink snout and long tail? That's an opossum, and it is a marsupial. Did you know that it is related to all sorts of different animals, including the kangaroo and the Tasmanian devil? Welcome to the wild, wonderful world of marsupials, a group of mammals found around the globe, though mostly in Australia and Southern Asia.

Madison loves helping people. So when it’s time for her class to plan an activism project, she knows this is her chance to prove she’s a leader. But when her ideas get shot down, she starts to feel small … really small. In fact, Madison turns into a mouse! Madison is panicked. Leaders do NOT have squeaky voices, whiskers, and tails! To change back, she will have to prove to others, and to herself, just what tiny beings can do—but first, she has to avoid getting stepped on.

It’s Tally Tuttle’s first day of second grade, and she’s super nervous! She’s new in town and worries that she won’t fit in, so when everyone starts teasing her about her full name, Tallulah, she wishes she could retreat into a shell … Then, all of a sudden, she does! Tally is shocked to discover that she’s turned into a turtle! She’d heard that Mrs. Norrell’s class was special, but she hadn’t expected this.

Eleven-year-old Ruby is a Black girl who loves studying insects and would do just about anything to be an entomologist, much to the grossed-out dismay of her Gramma. Ruby knows everything there is to know about insects so when she finds the weirdest bug she’s ever seen in her front yard, she makes sure no one is looking and captures it for further study. But then Ruby realizes that the creature isn't just a regular bug.

Life is good for Cal—and his Panda Bear, Pudding! The family stage-show Panda-Mime is a hit, and there's talk of a Hollywood film. But is it too good to be true? A nosy reporter is sniffing around, and if she discovers that Pudding's a real-life bear, then all their dreams will be dashed.