Native Birds of New Zealand by David Hallett

$24.99 NZD

$49.99 (50% off)

Category: New Zealand Pictorial

Native Birds of New Zealand is a photographic book of New Zealand native birds that will appeal to the casual bird-watcher as well as the ornithologist. Many books in the past have been aimed at the serious ornithologist, with illustrations designed to show distinct feather patterns but not to create an image that is also pleasing to the eye. The photographs in this book have been taken by David Hallett, one of New Zealand's leading wildlife photographers, who captures the beauty of New Zealand's native birds in their natural environment, from the subtropical north to the Sub-Antarctic Islands, and from the oceans to the alpine meadows of the Southern Alps. The text is kept short and avoids the in-depth academic material found in some of the very good reference books on the market. It does include all the interesting facts that set our native birds apart, presented in a short, concise format that makes the book ideal for browsing. With the advent of digital photography, many more birders are now equipping themselves with cameras as well as binoculars when they go into the field, creating an increasing awareness of wildlife photography. This trend, combined with the affection New Zealanders have for their native birds, makes Native Birds of New Zealand a book that will have widespread appeal. ...Show more

History of the World in 100 Animals by Simon Barnes

$55.00 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

A powerful and fascinating insight into the 100 animals - from the blue whale to the mosquito - that have had the biggest influence on humanity through the ages.  We are not alone. We are not alone on the planet. We are not alone in the countryside. We are not alone in cities. We are not alone in our h omes. We are humans and we love the idea of our uniqueness. But the fact is that we humans are as much members of the animal kingdom as the cats and dogs we surround ourselves with, the cows and the fish we eat, and the bees who pollinate so many of our food-plants.  In The History of the World in 100 Animals, award-winning author Simon Barnes selects the 100 animals who have had the greatest impact on humanity and on whom humanity has had the greatest effect. He shows how we have domesticated animals for food and for transport, and how animals powered agriculture, making civilisation possible. A species of flea came close to destroying human civilisation in Europe, while the slaughter of a species of bovines was used to create one civilisation and destroy another. He explains how pigeons made possible the biggest single breakthrough in the history of human thought. In short, he charts the close relationship between humans and animals, finding examples from around the planet that bring the story of life on earth vividly to life, with great insight and understanding. The heresy of human uniqueness has led us across the millennia along the path of destruction. This book, beautifully illustrated throughout, helps us to understand our place in the world better, so that we might do a better job of looking after it. That might save the polar bears, the modern emblem of impending loss and destruction. It might even save ourselves.   ...Show more

Healthy Bee Sick Bee by Phil Lester

$30.00 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

Phil Lester's first book, The Vulgar Wasp, was about one of the world's most hated insects. His second is about just the opposite – the honey bee, arguably one of our best-loved six-legged creatures. People have revered honey bees for centuries. Today we celebrate them with toys, postage stamps and camp aigns to raise awareness; we dress up in large bee suits to protest the use of pesticides; we've even sent bees into space and watched as they adjusted to microgravity. Bees are one of the world's most efficient pollinators. Their work is vital to the success of many food crops, and hence to the world's economy. So we need to take seriously any threats to their health – including parasites, pathogens, predators and pesticides – and, guided by evidence at every turn, find a way to minimise harm and keep bees thriving. As Healthy Bee, Sick Bee shows, this is no small task. In this book, entomologist Phil Lester explores the wonderfully complex and sometimes brutally efficient life history of honey bees, and the problems they face in New Zealand and around the globe. What causes a beehive to collapse? Are pesticides as big a problem as they appear? What can we do to improve the health of our honey bees? With intelligence, insight and entomologist jokes, Healthy Bee, Sick Bee tells the story of this much-loved little insect and offers new ways of thinking about how to ensure they will stick around in the future. ...Show more

Wild Horses of the World by Kelly Wilson

$60.00 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

Wild horses have been an important part of wildlife on Earth for centuries, yet many herds now face serious threats - and very few people can claim to have seen them galloping free across the plains, or scaling mountain passes. Kelly Wilson has. For this book, she spent years researching the world's wil dest herds, travelling the globe and living among them. From the remote forests of Canada and snowcapped mountains of America, to the unforgiving deserts of Australia and windswept beaches of New Zealand, Kelly has captured a raw and honest portrayal of these animals - their rugged beauty, their unique way of life, and the harsh, yet picturesque landscapes they call home. Live the adventure alongside her, as Kelly looks into the secret lives of wild horses, how their populations are managed, and the many hardships they must overcome in their fight for survival.   ...Show more

A Cat's Tale - A Journey Through Feline History by Paul Koudounaris; Baba the Cat

$49.99 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

The first comprehensive history of felines--from the laps of pagan gods to present-day status as meme stars--as revealed by a very learned tabby with a knack for hunting down facts Since the dawn of civilization, felines have prowled alongside mankind as they expanded their territory and spread the myth of human greatness. And today, cats are peddled on social media as silly creatures here to amuse humans with their antics. But this is an absurd, self-centered fantasy. The true history of felines is one of heroism, love, tragedy, sacrifice, and gravitas. Not entirely convinced? Well, get ready, because Baba the Cat is here to set the record straight. Spanning almost every continent and thousands--yes, thousands--of years, Baba's complex story of feline survival presents readers with a diverse cast of cats long forgotten: from her prehistoric feline ancestors and the ancient Egyptian cat goddess Bastet to the daring mariners at the height of oceanic discovery, key intellectuals in the Enlightenment period, revered heroes from World Wars I and II, and the infamous American tabbies. Baba, a talented model in addition to a scholar, goes beyond surface-level scratches, pairing her freshly unearthed research with a series of stunning costume portraits to bring history to life. A paws-on journey through the feline hall of fame, with in-depth research and four-legged testaments that will make you rethink who defines history, A Cat's Tale: A Journey Through Feline History--a revealed to Paul Koudounaris--is a one-of-a-kind chronicle that introduces readers to the illustrious ancestors of their closest companions and shows, once and for all, that cats know exactly what they're doing. ...Show more

On the Farm by Eliazarov, Aliza

$60.00 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

A collection of moving, ethereal portraits of heritage farm breeds from a renowned animal photographer, alongside personal stories and a history of these breeds on American farms. Aliza Eliazarov's stunning animal portraits have become a national sensation, gracing the pages of The New York Times, Food & Wine, The Washington Post, and more. In On the Farm she tells the stories behind these images, diving into the different heritage animals that have come to define the modern farm movement in America. These breeds have evolved with humanity for thousands of years, making possible the rise of civilization. Yet in the age of industrialized farming they have become rare, many verging on the edge of extinction. Aliza uses her camera to capture these disappearing animals during all stages of life, from birth to childhood to old age. She shows readers a duck who attends story hour at a local library, a goat who miraculously escaped from a burning barn, a cow named Cardi B who got lost in a storm, and many other heartwarming animals who live among us. With lyrical stories, historical context, and breed overviews, On the Farm brings to life the animals who we have shaped, and who in exchange have shaped and changed our world. ...Show more

James Herriot's Dog Stories by James Herriot

$19.99 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

As a little boy, climbing through the lochs and mountains of Argyll with his Irish Setter Don, all James Herriot wanted to be was a 'dog doctor' so he could care for man's best friend. In this classic collection of stories, we are introduced to some of the dogs who won a special place in the country ve t's heart - from Tricki Woo, the little Pekinese suffering from 'flop-butt' to Clancy the dog who nobody would go near and Gyp, the sheepdog who only ever barked once in his life. They're joined by lovable dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes, celebrating the limitless affection and loyalty of our closest companions. Filled with magical storytelling and from the treasured author of All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot's Dog Stories is told with his usual wit and human compassion - the perfect gift for dog-lovers everywhere. ...Show more

In Praise of Famous Horses by Sean Magee

$49.99 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

Horses is an A-Z companion to perhaps the most loved of all domesticated animals. The book's entries include a wealth of unexpected, fascinating and serendipitous information, from horse-slang phrases to horses in British pub signs, and from the horse in advertising to the horse as a food item. Themes s uch as the horse in warfare and the horse in folklore abound. These features add up to a richly satisfying accumulation of information about the horse's role in human culture and society over two millennia. Horses will not only be a helpful reference source and congenial bedside book for those who work with or enjoy horses, but also a satisfying and browsable companion for the inquisitive general reader. ...Show more

Extraordinary Old Dogs: Uplifting True Tales of Remarkable Seniors by Laura Greaves

$40.00 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

Puppies are wonderful, but there is something truly special about an old dog. It's the grey muzzle and salt-and-pepper eyebrows; the face that says 'been there, sniffed that.' It's the plodding gait; the long naps in the sunshine; the undiminished wonderment at the beauty of the world. And more than any thing, of course, it's the lifetime of love, laughter and licks. Most dog lovers wish their four-legged friends could live forever, and yet senior canines are surrendered to shelters and rescue groups in heartbreakingly high numbers. For some people, it seems ageing is an inconvenience rather than an achievement to be celebrated. But every day, all over the world, elderly dogs are doing incredible things. From saving lives and breaking records to leading online movements and surviving against the odds, stately seniors are wringing every ounce of joy and adventure from their lives. In Extraordinary Old Dogs, meet the geriatric tail-waggers proving there's plenty of life in the old dog yet.   ...Show more

New Zealand's Backyard Beasts (PB) by Ned Barraud

$19.99 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

In the garden, creeping along branches, hiding under stones or flitting from flower to flower, a whole universe of creatures is waiting to be discovered. Butterflies, moths, beetles, wasps, spiders - what have you found in your backyard? Did you know that chorus cicadas live underground for most of thei r life? That bumblebees have smelly feet? That some species of stick insect are all female? Or that earwigs don't actually crawl into ears? In New Zealand's Backyard Beasts, children (and adults) can learn to identify some of the creatures most commonly found in the backyard. Beautiful illustrations are accompanied by informative text and fascinating facts. New Zealand's Backyard Beasts includes bees and wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths, mantises and stick insects and weta (insects), centipedes and millipedes (myriapods), spiders (arachnids), snails and slugs (crustaceans) and more. The book also introduces the magical transformations of complete and incomplete metamorphosis that insects undergo in their lifecycle. From the simply curious to the budding entomologist, New Zealand's Backyard Beasts will please and inform all age groups about the fascinating creatures found in the back garden. Whether just looking at the beautiful illustrations or absorbing the facts, this book is a must for all backyard adventurers. ...Show more

Judy: A Dog in a Million: From Runaway Puppy to the World's Most Heroic Dog by Damien Lewis

$27.99 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

The impossibly moving story of how Judy, World War Two's only animal POW, brought hope in the midst of hell. Judy, a beautiful liver and white English pointer, and the only animal POW of WWII, truly was a dog in a million, cherished and adored by the British, Australian, American and other Allied servic emen who fought to survive alongside her. Viewed largely as human by those who shared her extraordinary life, Judy's uncanny ability to sense danger, matched with her quick-thinking and impossible daring saved countless lives. She was a close companion to men who became like a family to her, sharing in both the tragedies and joys they faced. It was in recognition of the extraordinary friendship and protection she offered amidst the unforgiving and savage environment of a Japanese prison camp in Indonesia that she gained her formal status as a POW. Judy's unique combination of courage, kindness and fun repaid that honour a thousand times over and her incredible story is one of the most heartwarming and inspiring tales you will ever read. ...Show more

Along Came a Llama by Ruth Janette Ruck

$24.99 NZD

Category: Pets & Animals

My Family and Other Animals meets The Secret Life of Cows: this rediscovered gem of a memoir tells the charming tale of how a baby llama transformed a Welsh farming family forever (with a foreword by John Lewis-Stempel) Things llamas like: Snaffling cherry brandy, Easter eggs, and the Radio Times. Flutt ering movie star eyelashes at surprised visitors. Curling up in 'tea-cosy' position by the fire. Orbiting, helicoptering, and oompahing. Humming along to classical music. Locking victims in the lavatory. Things llamas dislike: Having toenails trimmed by a visiting circus. Being adopted mother to an orphaned lamb. Invitations to star on Blue Peter. Accidentally swimming. Snowdonia's rainfall. The dark. Ruth Ruck's family live on a Welsh mountain farm, no strangers to cow pats on the carpet and nesting hens in the larder. When dark days strike, they embark on a farming experiment to cheer them all up - but raising a baby llama proves more of an adventure than expected . Reissued with a new foreword by John Lewis-Stempel, Along Came a Llama is a delightful 1970s farming classic: a charming, witty potrait of country life that will warm the hearts of animal lovers everywhere. 'Full of soul ... One departs this book a convinced llama-lover ... Certainly, Along Came a Llama has a Durrellian-recollection-of-family-life-with-unusual-pet spirit about it. But it is so much more. It is a guide to the future. To a good life.' John Lewis-Stempel ...Show more