Nature Myths

Meet Zeus, a tiny hamster with a mighty appetite for power. His cage sits atop a high shelf, so he can watch the other pets from above. But being king of the gods is a tough job: You've got to issue orders and decrees, make sure to stay in tip-top shape by running on your exercise wheel, and most importantly, lead your minions on epic journeys. And Zeus the Mighty has one giant task in front of him: Find the "golden fleas" and solidify his position before the other gods rebel.

Many years ago, the proudest animal in the jungle was not the peacock. The proudest animal was the tiger. In this folktale from Vietnam, we see how Tiger's pride leads him to covet wisdom and, with the help of a wise farmer, earn his stripes. Illustrated by Baird Hoffmire.

Coryn and the Band have returned to the Great Ga’HooleTree and restored order. With the ember safely hidden away, the tree shakes off its gaudy golden glow and recovers its natural majesty. Meanwhile, deep in the Palace of Mists, Bess finds an ancient map fragment that reveals that there are not five owl kingdoms - as has been thought since time immemorial - but six. Coryn and the Chaw of Chaws set off to find this unknown land and, in a landscape of perpetual winter, discover a monastery of serene, learned owls, the likes of which no one has ever seen before.

Five tales which range from the jungles of India to the frozen emptiness of the North... In all of them, Kipling's extraordinary powers of description and ability to identify with human aspiration and animal survival are vividly shown. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi must battle with Nag, the cobra, in his territory; Toomai has a unique glimpse of the elephant world, Kotick, the White Seal, searches for sanctuary, while Kotuko has to find food for his starving Eskimo village. Above all, Kipling's love of life in all its variety shines through.

Presenting scientific evidence from diverse fields, including anthropology, biology, and psychology, Fuentes devises a myth-busting toolkit to dismantle persistent fallacies about the validity of biological races, the innateness of aggression and violence, and the nature of monogamy, sex, and gender. This revised and expanded edition provides up-to-date references, data, and analyses, and addresses new topics, including the popularity of home DNA testing kits and the lies behind ‘"incel" culture.

David Ezra Stein is an accomplished author of children’s books and has been honored with the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. In Interrupting Chicken, Papa warns little red chicken not to interrupt as he sets about reading their nightly bedtime stories - but the eager chicken just can’t help warning the fairy-tale characters about the dangers they face. Frustrated to no end, Papa finally gives the little chicken the chance to tell a tale. Now will Papa be able to stop himself from interrupting?

When eight-year-old Kirstie brings home a strange egg from the Scottish shore, her family never expects it to hatch. But the next day, Kirstie discovers a baby sea monster swimming in her bathtub! Part horse, part toad, part turtle and part crocodile, he's the oddest-looking creature Kirstie's family has ever seen. Only Kirstie's grandfather knows what the beastie really is: a Water Horse! This lovable creature is the perfect pet. The only trouble is, he can't stop growing.

Pixar Animation Studio's 13th animated feature film, Brave, is an epic adventure set in the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. Determined to carve her own path in life, a skilled archer named Princess Merida defies a sacred age-old custom and inadvertently unleashes a beastly curse upon the kingdom. To set things right, Merida embarks on a perilous quest and discovers the meaning of true bravery.

Join a cat who loves to wear boots as he tries to buy a new pair of shoes at the Sixpence Shoe. When he accidentally tries on a pair of magic boots, he is transported far away! Now he must find his way back with the help of all your favorite fairy tale characters. Will he ever be able to buy a new pair of boots?

The humans are freezing during a cold winter and have no fire to warm themselves. They ask Coyote for help! Under the leadership of a Coyote, all the animals of the forest band together to steal fire from three wicked sisters and deliver it to humans in this tale from the Pacific Northwest. Can he defeat the skookums or will they continue to keep the fire all to themselves?

Long ago a trickster rabbit cheated other animals in order to become more elegant. What happened when the other animals caught on? Find out in this tale from Uganda. The rabbit wants the fox’s tail, the fish’s scales, the bird’s feathers, and the leopard’s spots and greedily tosses away one feature for the next.

Renowned rewilder Derek Gow has a dream: that one day we will see the return of the wolf to Britain as it has already returned elsewhere. As Derek worked to reintroduce the beaver, he began to hear stories of the wolf, both real and mythical, and his fascination with this creature grew. With increasing curiosity, Derek started to piece together fragments of information, stories and artefacts to reveal a shadowy creature that first walked proud through these lands and then was hunted to extinction as coexistence turned to fear, hatred–and domination.

Hoping to erase her tragic past, Empress Wu fills her kingdom with all beautiful things. She wants the Nightingale for its beautiful song. After sending her advisors to find the bird, Nightingale comes to her and offers to stay in her kingdom. Saddened by his captivity, Nightingale wishes to leave. Will the empress allow him to go?

Revisit the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with this audiobook for listeners. Goldilocks takes a walk and discovers a special place in the woods. She innocently eats some food, breaks a chair, and falls asleep. What happens when a bear family discovers a sleeping Goldilocks?

A harrowing adventure inside enemy territory. Heather and Picket are plunged into the darkness of Morbin's shadow, fighting to bear the flame of the cause and light the way for rabbitkind's upright insurrection.

Could griffins have been real? When Adrienne Mayor carefully read the ancient Greek and Roman descriptions, this mythic hybrid of a lion and an eagle sounded like something people had actually seen. What could explain that evidence? After a decade of hunting through myths, poring over old maps, and tracing the discoveries of modern dinosaur hunters, she found the answer: awesome dinosaur fossils observed by ancient gold hunters in the Gobi desert.

A big bully lion is no match for the Clever Monkey in this retelling of a classic story from West Africa

When you think of Aesop's Fables, you probably think of "The Tortoise and the Hare" or "Country Mouse and City Mouse". In this collection, Rob Cleveland brings you three of Aesop's lesser-known but equally powerful fables. You will learn why bats fly at night, why you should pick your friends carefully, and why even a tiny ant could be your guardian angel.

Ruth Mary the tooth fairy is used to collecting teeth from under the pillows of sleeping children, not animals. But when the Fairy Queen sends her off to the jungle, Ruth Mary doesn't mind. Everything goes well until she collects the tooth of a crocodile, who wakes up and decides that Ruth Mary looks like a tasty snack...and with her wings not working, how will the tooth fairy escape?

Learn about how eggs grow and hatch, and how baby chickens can be hatched using an incubator.