Possums Are Not Cute

Possums may steal your garbage…but with this book, they’ll also steal your heart! Possums are more than the ugly-cute icons of the internet. These so-called trash animals and pointy kitties are not only relatable avatars for anxious but resilient people everywhere, but nature’s secret clean-up crew. Organized around common myths that have given possums a bad reputation, this fun and offbeat book reveals the truth about possums through dozens of adorable photos, informative illustrations, and fascinating facts. Did you know that… • Possums protect people and pets from disease! A single possum can eat up to 4,000 ticks per week! • Possums excel at interspecies friendships, often sleeping in other animals’ dens. • Possums are shy creatures: when they “play dead,” they are actually fainting from anxiety! Written by wildlife rehabber and possum advocate Ally Burguieres, known for her popular Instagram account @ItsMeSesame, this accessible and giftable guide explains why possums deserve our admiration and offers tips on how we can protect and advocate for these magical marsupials.

Possums may steal your garbage…but with this book, they’ll also steal your heart! Possums are more than the ugly-cute icons of the internet. These so-called trash animals and pointy kitties are not only relatable avatars for anxious but resilient people everywhere, but nature’s secret clean-up crew. Organized around common myths that have given possums a bad reputation, this fun and offbeat book reveals the truth about possums through dozens of adorable photos, informative illustrations, and fascinating facts. Did you know that… • Possums protect people and pets from disease! A single possum can eat up to 4,000 ticks per week! • Possums excel at interspecies friendships, often sleeping in other animals’ dens. • Possums are shy creatures: when they “play dead,” they are actually fainting from anxiety! Written by wildlife rehabber and possum advocate Ally Burguieres, known for her popular Instagram account @ItsMeSesame, this accessible and giftable guide explains why possums deserve our admiration and offers tips on how we can protect and advocate for these magical marsupials.

Everyone has their unique and adorable favorite wildlife animal. Few choose the opossum. BUT you are reading this, so you really need to consider the opossum!It is a misunderstood animal that serves a vital role in the forest ecosystem. Opossums seldom win beauty contests, but upon reading about their special "superpowers," you are going to learn and earn a greater respect and admiration for them. There are many misconceptions people have about opossums. This book will walk you through them and give you a better understanding of these misunderstood marsupials (the only marsupials in North America).

Fans of E.B. White and Dick King-Smith will adore this heartwarming and funny animal adventure by the award-winning author of Counting by 7s Mama has trained up her baby possums in the ways of their breed, and now it’s time for all of them—even little Appleblossom—to make their way in the world. Appleblossom knows the rules: she must never be seen during the day, and she must avoid cars, humans, and the dreaded hairies (sometimes known as dogs). Even so, Appleblossom decides to spy on a human family—and accidentally falls down their chimney! The curious Appleblossom, her faithful brothers—who launch a hilarious rescue mission—and even the little girl in the house have no idea how fascinating the big world can be. But they're about to find out! With dynamic illustrations, a tight-knit family, and a glimpse at the world from a charming little marsupial's point of view, this cozy animal story is a perfect read-aloud and a classic in the making.

Featuring 70 watercolor illustrations, this totally adorable gift of a book offers wisdom and insight from a delightfully unexpected source: the opossum. Shy, resourceful, and deeply misunderstood yet thoroughly relatable, opossums offer a model for seeing the world—and oneself—in an entirely fresh way. Written and illustrated by Ally Burguieres, creator of the popular Instagram account @ItsMeSesame, who spends her days as a wildlife rehabber caring for and learning from opossums, When in Doubt, Play Dead offers encouragement to embrace life’s weird, wild, and wonderful moments. Learn to live your life the opossum way with advice including the following. The difference between a weed and a flower is often a matter of taste. It’s nobody’s business what’s in your pouch. Unless you’ve got snacks in there. In which case, you should share. A bit of risk is part of life. Cross that street, but ALWAYS look both ways beforehand. Smile! Unless someone tells you to, in which case you are well within your rights to scream. And more. With kindness and humor, this enchanting book of life advice will surprise, inspire, and charm you.

Possums play dead when threatened so Alfred, an unusually nervous possum, avoids attention and even friendship until he meets Sofia, an armadillo who curls into a ball when nervous. Includes facts about the unusual defense mechanisms of animals pictured in the book.

Considering Animals draws on the expertise of scholars trained in the biological sciences, humanities, and social sciences to investigate the complex and contradictory relationships humans have with nonhuman animals. Taking their cue from the specific 'animal moments' that punctuate these interactions, the essays engage with contemporary issues and debates central to human-animal studies: the representation of animals, the practical and ethical issues inseparable from human interactions with other species, and, perhaps most challengingly, the compelling evidence that animals are themselves considering beings. Case studies focus on issues such as animal emotion and human 'sentimentality'; the representation of animals in contemporary art and in recent films such as March of the Penguins, Happy Feet, and Grizzly Man; animals' experiences in catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina and the SARS outbreak; and the danger of overvaluing the role humans play in the earth's ecosystems. From Marc Bekoff's moving preface through to the last essay, Considering Animals foregrounds the frequent, sometimes uncanny, exchanges with other species that disturb our self-contained existences and bring into focus our troubled relationships with them. Written in an accessible and jargon-free style, this collection demonstrates that, in the face of species extinction and environmental destruction, the roles and fates of animals are too important to be left to any one academic discipline.

Considering Animals draws on the expertise of scholars trained in the biological sciences, humanities, and social sciences to investigate the complex and contradictory relationships humans have with nonhuman animals. Taking their cue from the specific 'animal moments' that punctuate these interactions, the essays engage with contemporary issues and debates central to human-animal studies: the representation of animals, the practical and ethical issues inseparable from human interactions with other species, and, perhaps most challengingly, the compelling evidence that animals are themselves considering beings. Case studies focus on issues such as animal emotion and human 'sentimentality'; the representation of animals in contemporary art and in recent films such as March of the Penguins, Happy Feet, and Grizzly Man; animals' experiences in catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina and the SARS outbreak; and the danger of overvaluing the role humans play in the earth's ecosystems. From Marc Bekoff's moving preface through to the last essay, Considering Animals foregrounds the frequent, sometimes uncanny, exchanges with other species that disturb our self-contained existences and bring into focus our troubled relationships with them. Written in an accessible and jargon-free style, this collection demonstrates that, in the face of species extinction and environmental destruction, the roles and fates of animals are too important to be left to any one academic discipline.