Animals are everywhere in our lives. We follow them into the wild, we invite them into our homes, they inhabit our dreams, mythologies, folklores, and popular cultures. What is this powerful bond? Why are we so fascinated with animals of every kind? And why has our relationship with them always been riddled with such complexity and contradiction?
A Walk in the Animal Kingdom explores the world of animals with the inquisitiveness, depth, and gentle humor that readers across the globe have come to expect from the acclaimed author-artist team of Jerry Dennis and Glenn Wolff. The book is an inquiry into animals of the world, their astonishing diversity and abundance; their mating habits, defensive strategies, and other behaviors; their extraordinary senses of sight, hearing, and smell. It is also an exploration of our profound connection with them, from the joys they inspire and the fears they arouse, to their prominence in our lives as pets, team mascots, and embodiments of wild nature—and the paradox that allows us to battle to protect certain species while ignoring others that are disappearing at a rate perhaps unequaled in the history of our planet.
Like the previous collaborations of Dennis and Wolff, A Walk in the Animal Kingdom is certain to become a classic among books about nature—its wonders, its complexities, and our place in it.
PRAISE:
“This writer-artist team shines a bright and lovely light on nature.” —Los Angeles Times
“Charming…informative…humorous…This wonderfully illustrated book will make heroes of parents and teachers, who will be able to explain nature's magic and the superstitions surrounding it." —El Paso Times
«Vastly entertaining, valuable… Makes natural history so much fun the reader is sucked from paragraph to paragraph, page to page, chapter to chapter.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“A perfect choice for adults and kids alike who want to discover more about how the world is put together… entertaining and fact-filled.” —Houston Post
“As leaves fall and the sky becomes more noticeable, you’re likely to look towards the heavens and wonder at their mysteries…Author Jerry Dennis and illustrator Glenn Wolff address the questions with intelligence, wit and artistry.” —Atlanta Constitution
«A delightful book, both readable and informative—like the best of Hal Borland and Edwin Way Teale…You've many hours of pleasure waiting with It's Raining Frogs and Fishes.» —Richmond Times-Dispatch
«With text that mesmerizes, drawings that enchant…this book calls you to hold it open before you.» —The Oakland Press
«This delightful look at nature… reminds adults—especially in this hectic, fast-paced, just-do-it world—that it is more than OK, it is desirable, to be child-like and to look up at the heavens and ask why.» —Toledo Blade
“This is a perfect choice for adults and kids alike who want to discover more about how the world is put together. Dennis has done a good job of entertaining and informing at the same time, and Glenn Wolff's illustrations gracefully supplement the fact-filled text. It's enjoyable reading and a good reference for anyone's library." —Sacramento Bee
«Dennis has a knack for being at once scholarly and readable, which makes this book both instructive and enjoyable. You can't ask for much more than that…It's Raining Frogs and Fishes is a book no home should be without.» —Binghamton (NY) Press and Sun-Bulletin
“Dennis, who writes “The Natural Enquirer” for Wildlife Conservation magazine, is a consummate researcher and gifted storyteller. Wolff’s drawings are first rate…Must reading for the naturally curious of all ages, and it belongs in every school library.” —Michigan Out-of-Doors
“Jerry Dennis is one of today’s most readable and informative nature essayists, and his latest book, The Bird in the Waterfall, is a marvelous look at the natural history of oceans, rivers, and lakes. It ought to be required reading for anyone who loves the outdoors, angling, surfing, beachcombing, or birding.” —Buffalo News
“Jerry Dennis’s clear-eyed essays surpass mere explanation of facts; he conveys the rare gift of understanding the workings of nature, along with passion for its beauties and terrors. His prose is admirably paced with Glenn Wolff’s artistic microcosms.” —Arts Borealis
“With melodic prose and luminous drawings, Jerry Dennis and Glenn Wolff tear the curtain from the sky we all share, revealing the inner workings…Keep this book handy for times when life grows a bit too predictable. It's giddy, it's reverent, and it's guaranteed to get your heart beating with wonder again." —Janine Benyus, author of Beastly Behaviors