Budgerigar: How a Brave, Chatty and Colourful Little Aussie Bird Stole the World's Heart by Sarah Harris; Don Baker

$32.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

A curiosity of everything you ever wanted to know (or realised you never knew) about budgies. Beautiful and cheeky, delightful and enchanting, wild or tamed budgerigars are Australia's gift to the bird world.They sing and dance, and yawn as contagiously as humans. They are masters of mimicry. They grasp simple grammar, can count to six and have memories that belie their size. They've been coveted by royals and been companions to the great and famous as well as grannies in suburban kitchens around the world. They've been painted by masters, rendered in the finest porcelain and graced fashionable hats and earrings of the highest order. Their image has been used to sell whisky, stamps and laundry detergent and everything in between.Surprising, charming and occasionally alarming, Budgerigar is the book that at last opens the cage door on the incredible story of the little bird that grew. ...Show more

The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild by Craig Childs

$39.00 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

The Animal Dialogues tells of Craig Childs' own chilling experiences among the grizzlies of the Arctic, sharks off the coast of British Columbia and in the turquoise waters of Central America, jaguars in the bush of northern Mexico, mountain lions, elk, Bighorn Sheep, and others. More than chilling, how ever, these stories are lyrical, enchanting, and reach beyond what one commonly assumes an "animal story" is or should be. The Animal Dialogues is a book about another world that exists alongside our own, an entire realm of languages and interactions that humans rarely get the chance to witness. ...Show more

Elephants: Birth, Life and Death in the Last Days of the Giants by Hannah Mumby

$36.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

Denali: The Story of an Exceptional Dog by Ben Moon

$32.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

In the bestselling tradition of Finding Gobi and Marley & Me, the moving story of a dog, his human and the friendship that saved both their lives - and inspired countless others.   Ben Moon had no intention of getting a dog until he met the soulful gaze of a husky-pit bull cross pup in a r escue shelter. Ben instantly felt a connection, and his friendship with the extraordinary Denali was born. The two friends set out on the road on an adventure that would take them across the American west and through some of the best years of their lives. When Ben was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 29, Denali never once left his side until the two adventurers were back out surfing and climbing crags. Soon after Denali was struck by the same disease, and Ben had the chance to return the favour. With the help of filmmaker friends, Ben made a short film as a tribute to the dog he admits helped form him into an adult. It was a labour of love that struck a chord worldwide, viewed by more than 15 million people, and their story continues to touch new audiences. Denali is the story of a unique friendship, and the power of the strength and love we give and receive when we have our mates by our side. ...Show more

Kiwi Working Dogs by Jo Caird; Paula George

$39.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

Jo Caird and Paula George take us on a journey inside the world of New Zealand's working dogs: celebrating the incredibly diverse roles they play in our society and the difference they make in so many people's lives. Including the much-loved farm dogs, this book explores the sniffer dogs trained for fro ntline duty at the airport or in prison, dogs trained to protect our native birds, rescue victims in emergencies and even a companion dog who can alert a young diabetic girl that she needs to take her insulin. ...Show more

Amazing Dogs with Amazing Jobs (Junior Edition) by Laura Greaves

$17.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

In this book, you'll find all kinds of dogs- fast dogs, heroic dogs, therapy dogs, stunt dogs and ecowarrior dogs and many more. Find out how Bailey the border collie became the Assistant Director of Seagulls at the Australian Maritime Museum, or what Caesar, the footy mascot for the Western Bulldogs, d oes in day during footy season. Discover how Chloe, the canine actor, became a star and why Oscar, the Rock Dog is so musical. From saving lives to spotting dolphins, helping wildlife and being social media superstars - these canines can do it all. ...Show more

Space Dogs - The Story of the Soviet's Celebrated Moon Pups by Martin Parr

$29.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

In the 1950s the space race between the USA and the USSR was well and truly on, and was for both a matter of pride and propaganda. But before man ventured into the cosmos, his four-legged friends would pave the way for space exploration. The first canine cosmonaut was Laika, meaning 'barker'. The little stray could never have anticipated that she would one day float 200 miles above the Moscow streets. She would be canonized as a proletarian hero, appearing on stamps, postcards and souvenirs. Her successors were Belka and Strelka, the first dogs to successfully return safely to Earth, and with them, the cult of the space dog was born.This fascinating book tells the story of the space dogs, illustrated with legendary photographer Martin Parr's vintage space-dog memorabilia. In a regime that eschewed celebrating individual achievement, these dogs became Soviet superstars, with a vast array of merchandise, books and films in their honour. ...Show more

Ajax the Kea Dog: A Working Dog's Life in the High Country by Corey Mosen

$39.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

The highly illustrated, heartwarming story of conservation heroes, dog Ajax and his handler Corey, who traverse remote parts of the South Island tracking kea nests. Together, Corey and Ajax travel through the steep high country throughout the South Island searching out kea nests. Their part in the kea conservation effort is essential and both Ajax and Corey can rightly be called conservation heroes. This heart-warming story describes how Ajax was trained to be one of the very few kea detection dogs in the world and tells of his various escapades in the unpredictable wilds of the steep back-country, including flying in helicopters; working in blizzards, heavy rain, and dense fog; escaping from angry wasps; and sleeping out in the bitter cold. The strong connection between Ajax and Corey has proved vital to their survival and the important work that they do. Ajax is slowing down now and soon his high-country days will be over. ...Show more

Running with Sherman - The Donkey Who Survived Against All Odds and Raced Like a Champion by Christopher McDougall

$24.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

Bestselling author of Born to Run rehabilitates a donkey to winning success. When barefoot running guru Christopher McDougall takes in a neglected donkey, his aim is to get Sherman back to reasonable health. But Sherman is ill-tempered, obstinate and uncooperative - and it's clear his poor treatment ha s made him deeply fearful of humans. Chris knows that donkeys need a purpose - they are working, pack animals - and so when he learns of the sport of Burro Racing or running with donkeys, he sets out to give Sherman something worth living for. With the aid of Chris's menagerie on his farm in rural Pennsylvania, his wife Mika and their friends and neighbours including the local Amish population, Sherman begins to build trust in Chris. To give him a purpose, they start to run together. But what Sherman gains in confidence and meaning is something we all need: a connection with nature, the outdoors, with movement. And as Chris learns, the side benefits of exercise and animal contact are surprising, helping with mental and physical health in unexpected ways. ...Show more

Makybe Diva (HB) by Trevor Marshallsea

$45.00 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

The story of a once-in-a-lifetime horse who would surpass all the rest.

No Beast So Fierce - The Champawat Tiger and Her Hunter, the First Tiger Conservationist by Dane Huckelbridge

$24.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

The deadliest animal of all time meets the world's most legendary hunter in a classic battle between man and wild. But this pulse-pounding narrative is also a nuanced story of how colonialism and environmental destruction upset the natural order, placing man, tiger and nature on a collision course. In Champawat, India, circa 1900, a Bengal tigress was wounded by a poacher in the forests of the Himalayan foothills. Unable to hunt her usual prey, the tiger began stalking and eating an easier food source: human beings. Between 1900 and 1907, the Champawat Man-Eater, as she became known, emerged as the most prolific serial killer of human beings the world has ever known, claiming an astonishing 436 lives. Desperate for help, authorities appealed to renowned local hunter Jim Corbett, an Indian-born Brit of Irish descent, who was intimately familiar with the Champawat forest. Corbett, who would later earn fame and devote the latter part of his life to saving the Bengal tiger and its habitat, sprang into action. Like a detective on the tail of a serial killer, he tracked the tiger's movements, as the tiger began to hunt him in return. This was the beginning of Corbett's life-long love of tigers, though his first encounter with the Champawat Tiger would be her last. iger and its habitat, sprang into action. Like a detective on the tail of a serial killer, he tracked the tiger's movements, as the tiger began to hunt him in return. This was the beginning of Corbett's life-long love of tigers, though his first encounter with the Champawat Tiger would be her last. ...Show more

Phar Lap - The Story of Australia's Greatest Ever Racehorse by Geoff Armstrong; Peter Thompson

$39.99 NZD

Category: Animal Biographies

Every champion Australian racehorse since 1930 has been called 'the best since the Phar Lap'. So will the next record breaker, because Phar Lap captured the imagination of the sporting public like no other thoroughbred ever has or ever will. This was in part because of his remarkable backstory, featurin g a battling trainer named Harry Telford and a knockabout young strapper, Tommy Woodcock, who built a relationship with Phar Lap that was second to none. It was also because of the mysteries that surrounded the legendary horse. Did gangsters really try to shoot him on the eve of the Melbourne Cup? Who or what killed Phar Lap?This revised and updated edition has all the answers. It explains why the horse cost a pittance as a yearling, was a laughing-stock when it first raced, but became unbeatable. The racing authorities tried to stop him; the desperate punters of the Great Depression loved him. The book also presents a fresh look at the controversies, reaffirming that there were no bullets in the gun and that neither the Americans nor arsenic were responsible for his death. As Winx was winning 33 races straight from 2015 to 2018, everyone kept asking: 'Could she have beaten Phar Lap?' Here, the authors compare the two Immortals from every angle, setting up the ultimate match race. ...Show more