A 5-year-old girl named Dot is lost in the outback after chasing a hare into the wood and losing sight of her home. She is approached by a red kangaroo who gives her some berries to eat. Upon eating the berries, Dot is able to understand the language of all animals, and she tells the kangaroo her plight. The kangaroo, who has lost her own joey, decides to help little Dot despite her own fear of humans. The book is filled with criticism on negative human interference in the wild in 1884.

Six little ducklings and their mom live in a hollow tree down by the river. Join them as the grow up by the water and learn more about themselves and their animal neighbors.

Jazbury, Yowler and Fluffy are three brave and curious kittens craving adventure. Join them as they accidentally venture into the woods and courageously face off against dogs, rats and strange people.

This volume contains stories, poems, and facts about lots of different flowers, intended for teaching children. It is divided into thirteen parts, each covering a different type of flower.

This book consists of fifty-two very short fictitious stories about cats and kittens, which have been written for children. Many of the stories have been written by cats and address the queen, many of them are commentaries on well known nursery rhymes, and many of them are both.

The basis on which these myths were selected necessarily excluded those which showed traces of the white man's religion or of the red man's coarseness. Relatively speaking, only a few myths could be selected. These were the creation myths, the origin of the races, the theft of fire, the salmon, and especially those connected with the physical features of the country, such as those of Takhoma, Shasta, the Columbia River, and the group of mountains of the bridge of the gods…. No claim is made...

There's nothing that sly troublemaker Sammy Jay likes better than stealing corn - unless it's playing tricks on the other animals in the forest. Yet Chatterer the Red Squirrel would like to keep his corn, thank you very much, and while he's at it prove he is just as smart as Sammy Jay! Thornton Burgess takes us once again into the charming world of the Green Forest and Green Meadows in this delightful story.

The Elements of Ornithology is one of seven in a Series of First Books of Natural History Prepared for the Use of Schools and Colleges. This succinct little textbook from 1845 presents an introduction to ornithology. The information, albeit not current, is still interesting and of use as a general overview of bird biology and classification. The author was a surgeon in the U.S. Navy and president of the Academy of Natural Sciences.

The value of the honey bee in cross pollinating the flowers of fruit trees makes it desirable that exact information be available concerning the actions of the bee when gathering and manipulating the pollen. The results recorded in this manuscript are also of value as studies in the behavior of the bee and will prove interesting and valuable to the bee keeper. The work here recorded was done by Dr. Casteel during the summers of 1911 and 1912.

Full of delightful fairy tales, charming poems and engaging stories, this is the fifth volume of the "My Bookhouse" series for little ones. Originally published in the 1920's as a six volume set, these books, edited by Olive Beaupre Miller, contained the best in children's literature, stories, poems and nursery rhymes. They progressed in difficulty through the different volumes. Note: Due to a numbering error, the audio introductions do not say "Section 6" but jump from 5 to 7. There is no text missing.

"I was only a little baby song-sparrow, and from the moment I came out of my shell everybody knew there was something the matter with me." So starts the short story of Scraggles, a young sparrow who came to be rescued and nurtured by a human family, as told in Scraggles "own words". Listeners are forewarned the ending chapters of Scraggles may be disturbing to some of our younger listeners. A special note from the Reader - if you would like to see the pictures of Scraggles that are mentioned in the book, please visit the Project Gutenberg link for the text.

Chatterer the Red Squirrel finds himself in trouble again and is forced to abandon his old home. As the search for a new home begins, Chatterer's curiosity gets the better of him and a moment of carelessness causes him to stumble into a far different home than he ever imagined. This book is Thornton W. Burgess at his best as he captures the personalities and behaviors of the animals in the Green Forest delightfully well and tells a story of mischievousness and unexpected friendship.

Lad: A Dog is a 1919 American novel written by Albert Payson Terhune and published by E. P. Dutton. Composed of twelve short stories first published in magazines, the novel is based on the life of Terhune's real-life rough collie, Lad. Born in 1902, the real-life Lad was an unregistered collie of unknown lineage originally owned by Terhune's father. Lad's death in 1918 was mourned by many of the story's fans, particularly children.

Taken from Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes, Switzerland and Austria: Vol. XVI, edited by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

This book is written from the horse's point of view, much as Black Beauty was. Indeed, it is intended to be a companion book to Black Beauty, filling in more background as seen by the horse. The title is actually White Dandy or Master and I: A Horse's Story. What do horses talk about among themselves? Do they have personalities, some dour and unhappy others buoyant and upbeat just as we humans do? Do horses anticipate good times and fear bad owners? Well, if you listen to a chapter or two of this book you will have a delightful glimpse into a horse's life and thoughts.

A collection of seven tales about cats. Caution: Some of these tales have very sad endings.

This delightful story is the tale of young Balser Brent, who has a knack for running into bears. Usually the bears come out of the interaction worse than the feisty and brave Balser. A great story for both boys and girls who enjoy adventure and excitement.

Thorton Burgess gives us a collection of stories about the animals, explaining 'when' they got their peculiar traits. As usual the stories are short and delightfully written so as to be enjoyed by child or adult. Have you ever wondered when Mr. Bluebird got his beautiful coat? or when Bob-White won his name? or Old Mr. Bat got his wings:? well these stories explain how they all happened along with many,many more.

Joaquin Miller dedicated this book to "my dear little daughter...for whose pleasure and instruction I have many times dug up the most of these stories from out the days of my boyhood." In his preface he claims to prefer true stories to made-up ones. And he always defends bears, which he thinks have gotten an undeserved bad reputation from the general populous. Miller strives here to pass on a respect for the variety and wisdom in the lives of real bears. But perhaps we should offer one caution: throughout his life Joaquin Miller gained a reputation for being a supreme liar!

This is the story of Peter Rabbit, a mischievous, but cautious, lagomorph who lives in the Green Meadows. Peter Rabbit begins his adventures with a quest for a new name, since his name is far too common for his taste. Having a new name is not quite what he thought it would be, however, and soon he is on to new exploits like outsmarting Reddy Fox and discovering where all his friends spend the winter. This tale co-stars Reddy Fox, Jerry Muskrat, Unc' Billy Possum, Jimmy Skunk, Ol' Mistah Buzzard, Bowser the Hound, and many more of Thornton W. Burgess' delightful characters.

The Adventures of Old Man Coyote is another in the long list of children's books by conservationist Thornton W. Burgess. In this book, the residents of The Green Pasture and The Green Forest are concerned about a strange newcomer, Old Man Coyote. Old Many Coyote matches wits with Old Granny Fox and has encounters with Reddy Fox and Peter Rabbit, and a particularly sharp confrontation with Prickly Porky.

Librivox volunteers bring you eleven readings of My Doves, by Louisa May Alcott. This was the fortnightly poem for December 21, 2014 - January 4, 2015

Over a cold winter, Toto and several animal friends (who can talk!) spend cozy evenings by the fire listening to his grandmother tell fantastical stories from around the world.

The Adventures of Bob White is another in the long line of children's books by conservationist Thornton W. Burgess. In this book, Bob White and Mrs. Bob White make a new home near the Old Briar Patch where they become neighbors with Peter Rabbit. We learn what Bob White likes to eat, how he protects his nest from being discovered, and who his friends and his enemies are. We also learn that sometimes it's not good to know everything, that arithmetic can be a useful tool, and that a Bob White needs to stay far away from the two-legged creatures who carry fire-sticks.

The stories in South American Jungle Tales center on the relationships between people and the different creatures Quiroga came into contact with on his farm in Misiones, a region of jungle in Uruguay along the banks of the Upper Parana river. Each story quickly evolves into a fantastical realm where the various animals take on familiar human characteristics. These stories, of course, are a metaphor for how man interacts with nature. They are used to show how human beings are an integral part of a greater ecosystem; and can either chose to exploit it to his detriment, or to live in harmony within it.

Some Life Studies of Animal Instincts and Animal Training This is the third book in the Wood Folk series by William J. Long, where he masterfully recreates animal life studies he observed while in the woods. He writes of the secrets of animals and birds while using their lovely, Milicete Indian names, such as Meeko and Mooween.

William J. Long again introduces us to some of the Wood Folk and their stories of living based on his own observations in the woods. In this volume, Mooweesuk the Coon is called the bear's little brother because he so often resembles the "big prowler in the black coat." Also included are chapters on the woodcock, the wildcat, the toad, and many other animals. He likewise includes a chapter on "animal surgery" that describes some ways animals treat their wounds and a chapter on "Hunting without a Gun", which is based on following large animals and observing them. Long's books are great for children and adults alike!

The journal of British naturalist Bruce Frederick Cummings, spanning from his early childhood through to his early death from complications stemming from multiple sclerosis. The diary combines beautiful, lyrical passages concerning the natural world with more introspective ruminations reminiscent of Kafka. Although successful and scandalous upon their publication in 1919, interest in the diaries has faded along with public interest in naturalism and diary writing more generally. However, Cummings' work is very modern is its forthright confessional tone and contains some deeply moving pieces of writing not easily forgotten. - Summary by Adam Whybray

This is Vol. 4, No. 13, Serial No. 113 of The Mentor, published Aug 15, 1916. This edition of the Mentor Magazine is devoted to big game animals in North America. There is an emphasis on preservation of these animals and opposition to big game hunting as a sport. These include the Prong-Horned Antelope, Mountain Sheep, Mountain Goat, Caribou, Moose, Musk-Ox, Elk, and the American Bison. - Summary by Larry Wilson

It is a loss to American literature that so much of the legendary history of these Indian tribes has gone, beyond hope of recovery. Exquisite in color, poetical in feeling, these legends of sun, moon, and stars, of snow, ice, lightning, thunders, the winds, the life of the forest birds and animals about them, and the longing to understand the why and the how of life—all which we have only in fragments…. As in all the other volumes of this series, no effort has been made to ornament or amplify these legends in the effort to make them “literary,” or give them “literary charm...

The first book published by The Boone and Crockett Club founded by Theodore Roosevelt and George Grinnell, who declared in their Editors Note: "Hunting big game in the wilderness is, above all things, a sport for a vigorous and masterful people. The rifle-bearing hunter, whether he goes on foot or on horseback, whether he voyages in a canoe or travels with a dog-sled, must be sound of body and firm of mind, and must possess energy, resolution, manliness, self-reliance, and capacity for hardy self-help...

Another 'dog's-eye view' book for children by this early activist for the American Humane Society. In this tale, we follow the travels and adventures of Boy, a loveable and loyal wire-haired fox-terrier in city and country. - Summary by Lynne Thompson