Animals
In the night garden
Carin Berger
jE Berger
Picture Books, Nature, Animals, Kids
"A collage-illustrated bedtime read about the often mysterious and always beautiful experiences to be found in nighttime spaces"--
Simon and the better bone
Corey R. Tabor
jE Tabor
Kids, Picture Books, Animals
One day, down by the pond, Simon meets another dog just like him. And that dog has a bone just like his, only better! How will Simon ever get him to trade, when the other pup knows all the same tricks?
I love books that play with book structure, and this one features a cute dog! The innovative formatting of this title makes for a spectacular lap-sit or storytime read. Pair with Tabor's Mell Fell or Suzy Lee's Wave series for a fun book-gutter-themed storytime. -Casey
Mother of sharks
Melissa Cristina Márquez
At la Playita del Condado in Puerto Rico, Meli meets a crab, Jaiba, who takes her on a dreamlike underwater adventure, teaches her about the importance of shark conservation, and reveals Meli's ultimate destiny--to become the Mother of Sharks.
I cannot wait to see this book! Just look at that gorgeous cover... -Casey
The lodge that beaver built
Randi Sonenshine
j599.37 Sonenshine
Nonfiction, Animals, Poetry
"Resourceful Beaver and his family work every day to build the perfect lodge in the pond, made of branches from the shore willow and silty mud from the streambed, in a book that introduces the engineering feat of dam-building and the life cycle of beaver families"--Provided by publisher.
A zen, poetic rendition of the "House that Jack Built" featuring soothing colored pencil imagery of beavers, geese, moose and more. If you can't be in the middle of the calm on a lake in the woods, reading this beautiful nonfiction picture book might be the next best thing. -Mari
The evil secret society of cats
author Pandania
jMANGA Pandania Evil
Graphic Novels, Humor, Animals
"Under the direction of the purple-caped Feline Commander, the Evil Secret Society of Cats schemes against humanity in a series of humorous stories as adorable as they are diabolical. After all, the complex nature of cats is part of their charm"--
"Fall into depravity, vile human!" And get ready to laugh out loud with this hilariously adorable manga. The easy-to-read, simple panel layout makes this a great first manga experience for young readers as well. The Evil Secret Society of Cats is for anyone and everyone who enjoys animal humor and especially fans of other cat comics like the Chi series, Housecat Troubles, and Yokai Cats. -Casey
The flamingo
1983- author Guojing
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Guojing
Graphic Novels, Animals, Nature
From a highly acclaimed illustrator comes a stunning graphic novel filled with adventure and wonder about an imaginative girl and her obsession with flamingoes. A little girl arrives, excited for a beachy vacation with her Lao Lao. The girl and her grandmother search for shells, chase crabs, and play in the sea, but when the girl finds an exquisite flamingo feather in her grandmother's living room, her vacation turns into something fantastical.
This mostly wordless graphic novel is a stunner! Guojing's use of texture, color, pacing, and framing are all lovely in this touching intergenerational story. Guojing's art and storytelling just keep getting better! -Casey
Polar bear
Candace Fleming
j599.786 Fleming
Kids, Nonfiction, Animals
As spring approaches in the Arctic, a mother polar bear and her two cubs tentatively emerge from hibernation to explore the changing landscape. When it is time, she takes her cubs on a forty-mile journey, back to their home on the ice. Along the way, she fends off wolves, hunts for food, and swims miles and miles.
What an informative yet emotional, beautifully-illustrated nonfiction picture book about a mother polar bear and her cubs! Mother bears are incredibly capable creatures - you won't doubt it after devouring this edge-of-your-seat book describing the long journey of a bear family's first year. A great read-aloud with gorgeous Arctic-landscape illustrations! -Anne W
Talk to your cat : how to communicate with your pet
Susie Green
636.8083 /Green
Animals
We all know cats can talk—but how do we find out what our cat is actually saying? Talk to Your Cat is the book that reveals the secrets of the enigmatic feline. With a host of cat lore and wisdom, as well as explaining body language, facial expressions, and the meaning of meows, the book breaks down the mysteries surrounding why cats do what they do! You’ll find information on cat psychology, how breeding controls behavior, finding the root cause of what has made your cat unhappy, and all sorts of fascinating facts to help you better understand your feline friend. Soon you will know everything there is to know about your cat! But we may never understand why they knocked that glass off the table…(Amazon Books)
If you need some tips on reading your cat's body language, or what they're trying to say to you, this is a good tool. -Mykle
Cute chibi animals : learn how to draw 75 cuddly creatures
Im, Phoebe, author.
j743.6 Im
Nonfiction, Art / Art History, Animals
"Chibi is Japanese slang for "short," and the characters in Cute Chibi Animals live up to this description, with their cute, roly-poly bodies that make them extremely lovable and huggable. Phoebe Im, the popular Instagram artist behind Bobblejot, shows you how to master this anime and manga drawing style with 75 step-by-step tutorials of your favorite animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and more."
I love both of the chibi drawing books from Phoebe Im. This series is certain to be a hit with anyone of any age who likes to draw cute animals. -Casey
A leopard diary : my journey into the hidden world of a mother and her cubs
Suzi Eszterhas
j599.75/Eszterhas
Animals, Nature, Travel
"Leopards are known for being shy and elusive, and leopard mothers are even more so. Imagine, then, having the rare opportunity to follow and photograph a mother leopard and her cubs. When world-renowned nature photographer Suzi Eszterhas was given the chance to do so, she jumped on a plane to Botswana. And through this collection of informative diary entries and stunning photos, readers are able to share this rare privilege. This compelling chronical of Suzi’s time following a female leopard spans roughly a year and a half, but between the informative first-person observations and the photos of rarely seen moments in the wild, the time flies by. The story begins with Suzi arriving at the Jao Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and meeting Kambango, the local tracker and guide who would become her close friend and whose knowledge and expertise she relies on throughout. They go immediately to the mother leopard’s den where, after waiting patiently for a number of hours, Suzi catches her first glimpse of the newborn cubs and her joy is palpable. From here on, readers are along for wild ride that is sometimes bumpy (such as a dramatic close encounter with the mother who feared for her cubs’ safety), sometimes smooth (the entries and photo captions are rich with observations of the cubs’ behavior as they grow up, as well as more general information about leopard behaviour) and sometimes even a bit uncomfortable (such as the grim reality of having to watch the cubs learn to hunt by practicing on a wounded kudu calf). Throughout the whole diary, though, the excitement in Suzi’s voice is clear, and her entries are full of her sense of wonder and respect for these amazing and secretive animals. Endmatter includes a Q&A with Kambango, who played such an essential role in this adventure, as well as a glossary of terms."--
Breathtaking wildlife photography accompanies a day-by-day journal of the growth of two leopard cubs under their mother's care. Rich with detail and packed with action shots of the leopard family, Suzi Eszterhas immerses the reader into the world of these animals and gives us a highly privileged peek into the activities of these elusive animals. If you can't get your hands on this new book right away, try one of Suzi Eszterhas's many other wild animal books, including My Wild Life: Adventures of a Wildlife Photographer. -Anne W
Yet another gorgeous picture book title from Carin Berger! Pair with Ashley Wolff's "Only The Cat Saw" for a fabulous nighttime cat-themed storytime. -Casey