Flora And Tiger

The author recalls experiences from his childhood in Germany and his later life in the United States, all in some way connected with various animals.

The author recalls experiences from his childhood in Germany and his later life in the United States, all in some way connected with various animals.

Winner of the 2014 Newbery Medal Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format — a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell.

The present book on the Biodiversity of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve deals with 539 species of higher plants and 361 species of animals (vertebrates). Besides geographical position and topography, the abiotic components, viz. geology, soils, water, climatic conditions etc., which determine the composition of biota in an ecosystem, have been discussed in details. Correct and valid names have been adopted for the floral and faunal elements along with local and English names. The keys have been provided for plant species from infra-specific to family level for easy identification. The short diagnostic description, phenology, ecology and distributional aspects have been provided under each plant species. Besides statistical analysis of floral composition, the phytogeographical and biological spectra have also been worked out to determine the routes of migration and phytoclimate respectively. Bioperspective value of the Reserve has been assessed to determine the economic potentiality and sustainable utilization of bioresources. The faunal diversity includes vertebrate fauna only, arranged in a classified manner. The shelter and feeding habits along with dependency of fauna on vegetation have been provided to determine plant-animal relationship and flow of energy. Details about endemic and threatened species of plants and animals, along with causes of threats, have been given for proper management of the Reserve. About 107 colour photographs of habitat and plants and animals with 36 illustrations of plant species have been provided. Several maps, pie charts, graphs, figures etc, along with data-tables, are appended to illustrate the findings. It is hoped that the book will prove a milestone in the management of the Reserve.

Board book edition of the best-selling winner of the Waterstones Childrens Book Prize, Illustrated Book Category.

A gorgeous and imaginative debut picture book by author/illustrator Lizzy Stewart, perfect for fans of Emily Hughes, Peter Brown, and Julie Morstad. There’s nothing to do at Grandma’s house and Nora refuses to believe any outlandish tales of dragonflies as big as birds, grumpy polar bears who like to fish, or a magnificent tiger all allegedly residing in Grandma’s garden. Nora's too old for silly games. But this charming picture book proves you are never too young or too old to dream--and adventure can find you when you least expect it. When Grandma says she's seen a tiger in the garden, Nora doesn't believe her. She's too old to play Grandma's silly games! Everyone knows that tigers live in jungles, not gardens. So even when Nora sees dragonflies as big as birds, and plants that try to eat her toy giraffe, and a polar bear that likes fishing, she knows there's absolutely, DEFINITELY no way there could be a tiger in the garden . . . Could there?

It's December 1997 and a man-eating tiger is on the prowl outside a remote village in Russia's Far East. The tiger isn't just killing people, it's annihilating them, and a team of men and their dogs must hunt it on foot through the forest in the brutal cold. To their horrified astonishment it emerges that the attacks are not random: the tiger is engaged in a vendetta. Injured and starving, it must be found before it strikes again, and the story becomes a battle for survival between the two main characters: Yuri Trush, the lead tracker, and the tiger itself. As John Vaillant vividly recreates the extraordinary events of that winter, he also gives us an unforgettable portrait of a spectacularly beautiful region where plants and animals exist that are found nowhere else on earth, and where the once great Siberian Tiger - the largest of its species, which can weigh over 600 lbs at more than 10 feet long - ranges daily over vast territories of forest and mountain, its numbers diminished to a fraction of what they once were. We meet the native tribes who for centuries have worshipped and lived alongside tigers - even sharing their kills with them - in a natural balance. We witness the first arrival of settlers, soldiers and hunters in the tiger's territory in the 19th century and 20th century, many fleeing Stalinism. And we come to know the Russians of today - such as the poacher Vladimir Markov - who, crushed by poverty, have turned to poaching for the corrupt, high-paying Chinese markets. Throughout we encounter surprising theories of how humans and tigers may have evolved to coexist, how we may have developed as scavengers rather than hunters and how early Homo sapiens may have once fit seamlessly into the tiger's ecosystem. Above all, we come to understand the endangered Siberian tiger, a highly intelligent super-predator, and the grave threat it faces as logging and poaching reduce its habitat and numbers - and force it to turn at bay. Beautifully written and deeply informative, The Tiger is a gripping tale of man and nature in collision, that leads inexorably to a final showdown in a clearing deep in the Siberian forest.