Best of
Animals

1972

All Creatures Great and Small


James Herriot - 1972
    For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.In All Creatures Great and Small, we meet the young Herriot as he takes up his calling and discovers that the realities of veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire are very different from the sterile setting of veterinary school. Some visits are heart-wrenchingly difficult, such as one to an old man in the village whose very ill dog is his only friend and companion, some are lighthearted and fun, such as Herriot's periodic visits to the overfed and pampered Pekinese Tricki Woo who throws parties and has his own stationery, and yet others are inspirational and enlightening, such as Herriot's recollections of poor farmers who will scrape their meager earnings together to be able to get proper care for their working animals. From seeing to his patients in the depths of winter on the remotest homesteads to dealing with uncooperative owners and critically ill animals, Herriot discovers the wondrous variety and never-ending challenges of veterinary practice as his humor, compassion, and love of the animal world shine forth.James Herriot's memoirs have sold 80 million copies worldwide, and continue to delight and entertain readers of all ages

All Creatures Great and Small / All Things Bright and Beautiful


James Herriot - 1972
     Within a year, the book had become recognized as a masterpiece. It went on to sell millions of copies and began the marvelous series of books, beloved of readers all over the world, which have so far sold over 20 million copies in English alone. Here, for the first time, the first two books in this series are being published together.These pages, now as then, are full of humor, warmth, pathos, drama, and James Herriot's unique and richly justified love of life. His journeys across the Yorkshire dales, his encounters with humans and dogs, cows and kittens, are illuminating by his infinite fascination and affection, and rendered with all the infectious joy of a born storyteller.Whether struggling mightily to position a calf for birthing, or comforting a lonely old man whose beloved dog and only companion has died, Herriot's heartwarming and often hilarious stories perfectly depict the wonderful relationship between man and animal. His wonderful stories make us laugh and cry, as we marvel at the everyday miracles he creates.

Dominic


William Steig - 1972
    Dominic is a talented dog, and when he encounters the notorious Doomsday Gang up to their old tricks, it becomes obvious they have met their match!An ALA Notable Book

Bonny's Big Day


James Herriot - 1972
    Bonny's Big Day is the endearing tale of Farmer Skipton and his beloved cart horse Bonny, who one day comes out of "retirement" for a very special day on the town.

The Church Mouse


Graham Oakley - 1972
    This is a picture book for young children which is one of a series of books about the church mice.

A Whale for the Killing


Farley Mowat - 1972
    When an 80-ton fin whale became trapped in a nearby saltwater lagoon, Mowat rejoiced: here was the first chance to study at close range one of the most magnificent animals in creation. Some local villagers thought otherwise, blasting the whale with rifle fire and hacking open her back with a motorboat propeller. Mowat appealed desperately to the authorities, but it was too late-ravaged by an infection resulting from her massive wounds, the whale died. A plea for the end of commercial hunting of the whale, this moving account blends all the tension of the life-and-death struggle for one animal's survival with the drama of man's wanton destruction of life-bearing creatures and the environment itself.

The Living Forest: A World of Animals


Rien Poortvliet - 1972
    A superb draftsman and colorist, he has another, even more enviable gift - a singular rapport with animals. In the text and pictures of this book, the artist and the naturalist speak with equal eloquence. Living as he does in a rustic cottage, Poorvliet has long been a close observer of the comings and goings of wild creatures. He has his favorites, and he presents them here in full color and entrancing detail. Accompanying the charming and sensitive drawings and paintings are essays and captions that express Poortvliet's special feeling for forest-dwelling animals. With gentle wit, unabashed love, and exceptional knowledge he explains the customs, habitats, physical features, and mating habits of boars, ducks, deer, rabbits, partridges, pheasants and foxes (a special favorite). As we meet Reynard the Fox, Poorvliet confides that his friend's reputation for slyness and cunning is greatly exaggerated. Rather, the fox is discovered to be "terribly cautious and suspicious!" Revelations about the duck are even more sensational: in regard to mallards we are told that "no female duck is safe when she is outnumbered by a troop of drakes." A compendium of enlightened natural history, delicate observation, and creative fantasy, The Living Forest cannot fail to instruct and delight anyone who has the preservation and survival of wild creatures at heart and is sensitive to their beauty. Poorvliet is currently working on a book about horses; other books by him include He Was One of Us and The Dutch Farm. His world-famous illustrations for Abrams' best-seller Gnomes also explore the world of forest animals. Robert Elman, who contributed the Introduction, is an American authority on the outdoors. The Wildlife Editor of Outdoor Life magazine, he has written several books and numerous articles. 160 pages of illustrations, 139 in color

The Ant and the Elephant


Bill Peet - 1972
    The elephant is the kindest animal in the jungle, rescuing the giraffe, lion, and rhino, but who will return the favor when the elephant needs help?

Catch Me a Colobus


Gerald Durrell - 1972
    First published in 1972.

Magnifi-Cat


Carolyn Sheehan - 1972
    When the Devil finds out, he sees an opportunity to wreak havoc.

Watership Down


Richard Adams - 1972
    Led by a stouthearted pair of friends, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.

Gifts of an Eagle


Kent Durden - 1972
    

Grow it!: The beginner's complete in-harmony-with-nature small farm guide; from vegetable and grain growing to livestock care


Richard W. Langer - 1972
    Grow It presents a philosophy and life-style in tune with today's concern for the environment.

San Domingo: The Medicine Hat Stallion


Marguerite Henry - 1972
    The Indians believe such a horse is sacred -- that neither bullet nor arrow can harm its rider. As they explore the prairie together, a bond forms between Peter and San Domingo that can never be broken. But Peter's father, Jethro Lundy, knows only one love: bargaining. He trades San Domingo for a thoroughbred. How can Peter ever forgive his father? His only choice is to leave home forever!

The Snuggle Bunny


Nancy Jewell - 1972
    A bunny looking for someone to snuggle against finds an old man who is happy to snuggle back.

The Serengeti Lion: A Study of Predator-Prey Relations


George B. Schaller - 1972
    Schaller’s The Serengeti Lion describes the vast impact of the lion and other predators on the vast herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle for which the area is famous. The most comprehensive book available on the lion, this classic work includes the author’s findings on all aspects of lion behavior, including its social system, population dynamics, hunting behavior, and predation patterns.“If you have only enough time to read one book about field biology, this is the one I recommend.”—Edward O. Wilson, Science“This book conveys not only the fascination of its particular study of lion behavior but the drama and wonder and beauty of the intimate interdependence of all living things.”—Saturday Review“This is an important book, not just for its valuable information on lions, but for its broad, open, and intelligent approach to problems that cut across the fields of behavior, populations, ecology, wildlife management, evolution, anthropology, and comparative biology.”—Richard G. Van Gelder, Bioscience

The Runaways


Victor Canning - 1972
    On a night of wild storms, two lonely creatures escape from captivity.One of the creatures is a boy, Smiler, wrongly convicted of stealing, the other a cheetah, Yarra, leaving the Longleat Wild Life Park to have her cubs in privacy.Both are in danger from the outside world and each other, but somehow their lives become inextricably bound up as they fight for survival on the edge of Salisbury Plain.The Runaways is the first book in Victor Canning's classic children's trilogy, which continues in Flight of the Grey Goose.‘Victor Canning is one of the world’s finest story-tellers’ Good Housekeeping

Encyclopedia of Tropical Fishes


Herbert R. Axelrod - 1972
    

The Passenger Pigeon


A.W. Schorger - 1972
    The passenger pigeon, once probably the most numerous bird on the planet, made its home in the billion or so acres of primary forest that once covered North America east of the Rocky Mountains. Their flocks, a mile wide and up to 300 miles long, were so dense that they darkened the sky for hours and days as the flock passed overhead. Population estimates from the 19th century ranged from 1 billion to close to 4 billion birds. Total populations may have reached 5 billion birds and comprised up to 40% of the total number of birds in North America. This may be the only species for which the exact time of extinction is known. No appreciable decline in the numbers was noted until the late 1870s but, thereafter, their destruction took only twenty-five years. The immense roosting and nesting colonies invited over-hunting. Tens of thousands of individuals were harvested daily from nesting colonies, and shipped to markets in the east. Modern technology hastened the demise of the passenger pigeon. With the coming of the telegraph, the locations of flocks could be ascertained, and the birds relentlessly pursued. The last bird died in 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden before any competent ornithologists could write an account of the species. A. W. Schorger reconstructed the life history of the passenger pigeon. Through painstaking research, he examined every aspect of the species -- behavioral characteristics, feeding methods, traveling and roosting habits, nesting - and the various stages of the species encounter with man, from utilization by the Native American to extinction at the hands of white settlers. From the original reviews: "This really shocking book ought to be required reading for every thoughtful citizen" Audubon Magazine "Reads as fascinatingly as many a novel" Cleveland Plain Dealer "Prodigious" Newsweek "Absorbing" Scientific American "An excellent book" Michigan History

The White Island


John Lister-Kaye - 1972
    

The Spotted Hyena: A Study of Predation and Social Behavior


Hans Kruuk - 1972
    

Common Sense Horsemanship: A Distinct Method of Riding and Schooling Horses and of Learning to Ride,


Vladimir S. Littauer - 1972
    

More Tales From The End Cottage


Eileen Bell - 1972
    1

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! The First All-Animal Olympics


Leonard Kessler - 1972
    The arrangements and "getting in shape" proceed amicably (the ants even volunteer to form a starting line) and -- with worm, whose talent for wiggling seems unsuited to any of the scheduled events, acting as cheerleader -- the races themselves become a kind of loosely satisfying mutual admiration celebration. In the end even worm finds a niche in the competition, substituting for a missing baton in the relay race and inching over the finishing line when the duck who is carrying him falls while waving to the crowd. The playfulness extends even to the naming of the animals' teams (the Yankees, the Tigers and the Pirates) and makes this effort competitive with any of the humor on the easy reader shelf.

Scent and the Scenting Dog


William G. Syrotuck - 1972
    This fascinating book explains the composition of scent, how it works in the dog's nose, and what affects scent and much more! · The Sense of Smell · Anatomy and Physiology · Theories and Odor · The Human as a Scent Source · Transmission · Atmospheric Factors and Airborn Scent · The Ground Scent Picture · Working on Dog's Scent · Snow Experiments

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom (Set of twenty)


Herbert Kondo - 1972
    

Wildcat and the Acorns (and other stories)


Kenji Miyazawa - 1972
    

Across the Meadow


Ben Shecter - 1972
    An old cat, knowing he is not "coming back, " tells all his friends he's going on vacation.

The Glerp


David McPhail - 1972
    At the expense of his health, the strolling Glerp swallows everyone who gets in his way.

The Lure of the Falcon


Gerald Summers - 1972
    In this remarkable book, Gerald Summers describes his childhood passion for nature, with an exact and loving eye for the characteristics of insects, birds, small mammals and domestic animals -- a passion that eventually fixed itself on Cressida, a small, fiercely independent and remarkably devoted falcon, who came into his life just before he was sent to Tunisia in the Second World War. Summers related the experiences of this bizarre pair -- a young naturalist in uniform and a wild falcon -- who shared together the hardships and dangers of war and the privations of German POW camps. How Cressida saved Summers' life during the Tunisian fighting, how she managed to defeat a Gestapo officer, how she helped her human companion to escape from the Germans and attempt to make his way back to the Allied lines through Italy is all told in a warm, witty and loving book that is reminiscent of vintage Durrell. More than most nature books, The Lure of the Falcon is about the rare and wonderful relationship that can sometimes grow between a human being and a wild animal -- a relationship of equals, of friends, of creatures who understand each other's point of view. Like Gavin Maxwell's otters and Joy Adamson's Elsa, Gerald Summers' kestrel Cressida is a creature of enduring fascination.

An Introduction to Animal Behaviour


Aubrey Manning - 1972
    The study of animal behavior is about all these things and more. It involves absolute stillness and violent activity, all the noises and smells and changes of color and shape that characterize animal life. Taking the organization of behavior within the individual animal as its core, this clear, concise and readable foray into the fascinating world of animal behavior investigates Tinbergen's questions of causation, evolution, development and function. It provides lucid accounts of all levels of behavior from the nerve cell to that of the population. The broad biological approach of this new, rewritten edition makes it an excellent choice for all students of animal behavior and psychology and their teachers.