Best of
Animal-Fiction

2004

The Katurran Odyssey


David Michael Wieger - 2004
    This epic tale of faith, hope, and selfless heroism is illuminated by the stunning illustrations of Terryl Whitlatch, the principal creature designer for the Star Wars prequels, and is brought to dynamic life by the storytelling of screenwriter and author David Michael Wieger.Bo-hibba is a remote island in a faraway time and place that is populated by animals who are at once fantastic and startlingly real. The island's survival is threatened by the Long Winter, and not even the High Priest's ancient ceremony of renewal can put an end to the suffering from the hunger and the cold.Katook, a small but courageous young lemur, lives in the village of Kattakuk. When he dares to enter a forbidden area on the island and witnesses a shocking act, the outraged priests banish him from the island forever. Forced to journey across the vast sea in search of a new home, Katook encounters great perils and marvels on his quest and undergoes profound tests of trust and friendship. At last, he finds the place where the secret of the Long Winter is revealed and where he must confront his greatest fear if he is to save his family and his island home.Like such classic works of fantasy as Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," Rien Poortvliet's "Gnomes," C. S. Lewis's "Chronicles of Narnia," Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series, and Brian Froud's "Faeries," "The Katurran Odyssey" creates a mythic world imbued with beauty, adventure, and transcendent imagination.

Toes


Tor Seidler - 2004
    The other kittens, fearing his condition might be contagious, refuse to play with him. So one night, a lonely Toes runs away. He takes refuge in a strange basement, where a struggling musician named Sebastian eventually finds him. As he grapples with his own insecurities as a violinist, Sebastian learns from Toes that the most beautiful duet can be the one made by true friendship.National Book Award finalist Tor Seidler once again introduces an endearing animal who will live in readers' hearts forever.

Saving Samantha: A True Story


Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen - 2004
    Told in journal form and rendered in beautifully detailed artwork, the van Frankenhuyzens give a day in the life view as the fox Samantha begins her journey from injured kit to independent adult living on her own.Always respecting the boundaries between the wild and the human ways of life and based on years of work as licensed wildlife rehabilitators, Gijsbert and Robbyn recommend readers do not try this at home. Saving Samantha is Gijsbert's fourteenth book with Sleeping Bear Press. He has also illustrated the best-selling The Legend of Sleeping Bear, The Legend of Leelanau, and most recently The Edmund Fitzgerald: Song of the Bell. He and Robbyn live with their daughters in Bath, Michigan, on a 40-acre farm.

Dark Fire


Angela Dorsey - 2004
    Then a crime is committed that shakes Lisa to her core, and the police suspect Jupiter.

Amber: The Red Story of a Red Fox


Shirley E. Woods - 2004
    When at last they are ready to leave the den in late spring, Amber and the other kits overcome their fears quickly. In no time they are tumbling over each other in their eagerness to explore the delights of the world above. But playtime will soon be over. As the summer flies by, Amber's parents teach the lessons that are crucial to their survival. Foxes have many enemies, and they must learn to outwit foes stronger and faster than they are. By fall, Amber's parents have left, and her brothers have gradually gone their separate ways. Amber still has much to learn. Driven by hunger and fear, she will use every instinct and intelligence she possesses to feed herself and stay safe. One day she will be ready to find a mate and raise a family of her own. Author Shirley Woods' love of the natural world shines in this accurate portrayal of a young fox's life. A wealth of factual information about foxes is carefully woven into a story filled with adventure and suspense.