Kirjahaku

When Inky the octopus slipped out of his tank at the National Aquarium in New Zealand, his audacious escape made headlines around the world. Biologist Thor Hanson’s funny, informational text and Galia Bernstein’s illuminating, humorous pictures showcase the intelligence and curiosity of this fascinating creature. For readers who love true stories about animals. Features fun facts about octopuses and additional information about Inky’s escape.A rock. A pot. Some sand. A light. And those same four walls, day in and day out. Inky the octopus has only ever known his tank at the aquarium in New Zealand. Understimulated and craving answers, he watches the people walk by and wonders where they go—until one fateful day when the lock on his tank is left unlatched. Inky escapes, and he miraculously makes his way into a drainpipe and out to the ocean.Inky’s story is all true—there really was an octopus who escaped the National Aquarium in New Zealand and returned to the sea, becoming a viral sensation. Award-winning author and biologist Thor Hanson’s rhyming text is funny, engaging, and informative and highlights the innate intelligence of octopuses. Galia Bernstein’s vibrant, tentacle-filled artwork is the perfect complement, capturing Inky’s curiosity, intelligence, and resourcefulness. Extensive back matter includes information about octopuses, aquariums, and the real Inky’s escape.

This narrative nonfiction picture book about Mozart and the singing starling who stole his heart is based on the true story of the famous composer and his bird. Written by noted biologist and author Thor Hanson and illustrated by acclaimed artist Matt Schu, this kid-friendly tribute to creativity, music, nature, and friendship includes fascinating back matter. A long time ago in Vienna, Austria, a starling was for sale in a shop. Star wasn’t fancy or flashy, but he had a marvelous voice and could mimic intricate songs. When a passerby recognized his own musical composition being chirped, Star found a new friend in Mozart. Mozart purchased Star and took him home to his Vienna apartments, where Star and his maestro continued to compose and make music that echoed around the world and is still played and performed today.Star and the Maestro is based on the true story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his pet starling, Star. With a rhythmic, rhyming text and beautiful, detailed illustrations, this picture book will appeal to families, librarians, classroom teachers, and animal and music lovers of all ages. An excellent read-aloud, this entertaining and child-friendly nonfiction picture book is about the special bond between two talented musicians and the unique ways in which humans and animals interact and features extensive back matter by noted biologist Thor Hanson.

Feathers are an evolutionary marvel: aerodynamic, insulating, beguiling. They date back more than 100 million years. Yet their story has never been fully told. In Feathers , biologist Thor Hanson details a sweeping natural history, as feathers have been used to fly, protect, attract, and adorn through time and place. Applying the research of paleontologists, ornithologists, biologists, engineers, and even art historians, Hanson asks: What are feathers? How did they evolve? What do they mean to us? Engineers call feathers the most efficient insulating material ever discovered, and they are at the root of biology's most enduring debate. They silence the flight of owls and keep penguins dry below the ice. They have decorated queens, jesters, and priests. And they have inked documents from the Constitution to the novels of Jane Austen. Feathers is a captivating and beautiful exploration of this most enchanting object.

As seen on PBS's American Spring LIVE, the award-winning author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers presents a natural and cultural history of bees: the buzzing wee beasties that make the world go round. Bees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. In Buzz, the beloved Thor Hanson takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They've given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. As informative and enchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, Buzz shows us why all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect. Read this book and you'll never overlook them again.

Winner of the 2016 PNBA Book Award A finalist for the 2016 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, Young Adult Science Book categoryWe live in a world of seeds. From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life, supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. Just as the search for nutmeg and the humble peppercorn drove the Age of Discovery, so did coffee beans help fuel the Enlightenment, and cottonseed help spark the Industrial Revolution. And from the Fall of Rome to the Arab Spring, the fate of nations continues to hinge on the seeds of a Middle Eastern grass known as wheat.In nature and in culture, seeds are fundamental,objects of beauty, evolutionary wonder, and simple fascination. How many times has a child dropped the winged pip of a maple, marveling as it spirals its way down to the ground, or relished the way a gust of wind(or a stout breath) can send a dandelion's feathery flotilla skyward? Yet despite their importance, seeds are often seen as a commonplace, their extraordinary natural and human histories overlooked. Thanks to Thor Hanson and this stunning new book, they can be overlooked no more.What makes The Triumph of Seeds remarkable is not just that it is informative, humane, hilarious, and even moving, just as what makes seeds remarkable is not simply their fundamental importance to life. In both cases, it is their sheer vitality and the delight that we can take in their existence,the opportunity to experience, as Hanson puts it, the simple joy of seeing something beautiful, doing what it is meant to do." Spanning the globe from the Raccoon Shack,Hanson's backyard writing hideout-cum-labouratory,to the coffee shops of Seattle, from gardens and flower patches to the spice routes of Kerala, this is a book of knowledge, adventure, and wonder, spun by an award-winning writer with both the charm of a fireside story-teller and the hard-won expertise of a field biologist. A worthy heir to the grand tradition of Aldo Leopold and Bernd Heinrich, The Triumph of Seeds takes us on a fascinating scientific adventure through the wild and beautiful world of seeds. It is essential reading for anyone who loves to see a plant grow.

We live in a world of seeds. From our morning toast to the cotton in our clothes, they are quite literally the stuff and staff of life: supporting diets, economies, and civilizations around the globe. Just as the search for nutmeg and pepper drove the Age of Discovery, coffee beans fueled the Enlightenment and cottonseed sparked the Industrial Revolution. Seeds are fundamental objects of beauty, evolutionary wonders, and simple fascinations. Yet, despite their importance, seeds are often seen as commonplace, their extraordinary natural and human histories overlooked. Thanks to this stunning new book, they can be overlooked no more. This is a book of knowledge, adventure, and wonder, spun by an award-winning writer with both the charm of a fireside story-teller and the hard-won expertise of a field biologist. A fascinating scientific adventure, it is essential reading for anyone who loves to see a plant grow.

An award-winning natural-history writer opens the door to the nature that thrives in our yards, gardens, and parks We all live on nature's doorstep, but we often overlook it. From backyards to local parks, the natural places we see the most may well be the ones we know the least. In Close to Home, biologist Thor Hanson shows how retraining our eyes reveals hidden wonders just waiting to be discovered. In Kansas City, migrating monarch butterflies flock to the local zoo. In the Pacific Northwest, fierce yellowjackets placidly sip honeydew, unseen in the treetops. In New England, a lawn gone slightly wild hosts a naturalist's life's work. And in the soil beneath our feet, remedies for everything from breast cancer to the stench of skunks lie waiting for someone's searching shovel. Close to Home is a hands-on natural history for any local patch of Earth. It shows that we each can contribute to science and improve the health of our planet. And even more, it proves that the wonders of nature don't lie in some far-off land: they await us, close to home.

*A New York Times Editor's Choice pick *Shortlisted for the 2022 Pacific Northwest Book Awards A beloved natural historian explores how climate change is driving evolution In Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, biologist Thor Hanson tells the remarkable story of how plants and animals are responding to climate change: adjusting, evolving, and sometimes dying out. Anole lizards have grown larger toe pads, to grip more tightly in frequent hurricanes. Warm waters have caused the development of Humboldt squid to alter so dramatically that fishermen mistake them for different species. Brown pelicans have moved north, and long-spined sea urchins south, to find cooler homes. And when coral reefs sicken, they leave no territory worth fighting for, so aggressive butterfly fish transform instantly into pacifists. A story of hope, resilience, and risk, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is natural history for readers of Bernd Heinrich, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and David Haskell. It is also a reminder of how unpredictable climate change is as it interacts with the messy lattice of life.

*A New York Times Editor's Choice pick* A beloved natural historian explores how climate change is driving evolution In Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, biologist Thor Hanson tells the remarkable story of how plants and animals are responding to climate change: adjusting, evolving, and sometimes dying out. Anole lizards have grown larger toe pads, to grip more tightly in frequent hurricanes. Warm waters cause the development of Humboldt squid to alter so dramatically that fishermen mistake them for different species. Brown pelicans move north, and long-spined sea urchins south, to find cooler homes. And when coral reefs sicken, they leave no territory worth fighting for, so aggressive butterfly fish transform instantly into pacifists. A story of hope, resilience, and risk, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is natural history for readers of Bernd Heinrich, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and David Haskell. It is also a reminder of how unpredictable climate change is as it interacts with the messy lattice of life.

As seen on PBS's American Spring LIVE, the award-winning author of The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers presents a natural and cultural history of bees: the buzzing wee beasties that make the world go round. Bees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. In Buzz, the beloved Thor Hanson takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They've given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. As informative and enchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, Buzz shows us why all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect. Read this book and you'll never overlook them again.

BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK'Popular science at its most accessible: fun, fascinating and full of engaging pen portraits of the scientists and bee enthusiasts he meets in the course of his research' Melissa Harrison, Guardian'A smooth and accessible account of the insects that provide a significant amount of what we eat, introducing their fascinating diversity of behaviour. A reminder of why bees are wonders that we must protect.' Matt Shardlow, BBC WildlifeBees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part,unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationshipsthat bind the human and natural worlds. In Buzz,the award-winning author of Feathers and The Triumphof Seeds takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, whena wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young.From honeybees andbumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees havelong been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence.They've given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as athird of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk ofdisappearing.As informative andenchanting as the waggle dance of a honeybee, Buzz shows uswhy all bees are wonders to celebrate and protect. Read this book and you'llnever overlook them again.

Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is the first major book by a biologist to focus on the fascinating story of how the natural world is adjusting, adapting, and sometimes measurably evolving in response to climate change. Lyrical and thought-provoking, this book broadens the climate focus from humans to the wider lattice of life.

'An original, wide-ranging and carefully researched book ... contains important lessons for humanity.' Mark Cocker, The SpectatorA fascinating insight into climate change biology around the globe, as well as in our own backyards.Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is the first major book by a biologist to focus on the fascinating story of how the natural world is adjusting, adapting, and sometimes measurably evolving in response to climate change. Lyrical and thought-provoking, this book broadens the climate focus from humans to the wider lattice of life.Bestselling nature writer Thor Hanson - author of Buzz (a Radio 4 'Book of the Week') - shows us how Caribbean lizards have grown larger toe pads to grip trees more tightly during frequent hurricanes; and how the 'plasticity' of squid has allowed them to change their body size and breeding habits to cope with altered sea temperatures.Plants and animals have a great deal to teach us about the nature of what comes next, because for many of them, and also for many of us, that world is already here.

”Viktig och tänkvärd bok!”BTJ"Intelligent populärvetenskap när den är som bäst."The Economist"Populärvetenskap i dess mest lättillgängliga form: rolig, fascinerande och full av fängslande porträtt av forskare och bientusiaster som han träffar under sina efterforskningar."The GuardianBinas hemliga liv handlar om alla slags bin – från honungsbin och humlor till mindre välbekanta pälsbin, sandbin, tapetserarbin och murarbin. Här blir vi indragna i en märklig värld som ligger gömd i full åsyn.Genom att väva ihop populärvetenskap med vår kultur­historia gör Thor Hanson det möjligt för oss att förstå allvaret i hoten mot binas existens, från bekämpningsmedel till klimatförändringar. Det är först när vi vet varifrån bina kommer och vad de förser oss med som vi verkligen kan inse vad som står på spel. Binas historia börjar för 125 miljoner år sedan, när en stekel första gången vågade mata sina ungar med pollen. Deras liv är tätt sammanflätat med vår kulturhistoria och de har möjliggjort medicinska framsteg och en agrikultu­rell revolution; de har gett oss sötma och ljus och blommors skönhet, och än i dag står de bakom så mycket som en tred­jedel av den mat vi äter. Att lära känna biet är inte bara att bli bekant med en fascinerande och vacker insekt – det ger också en skymt av ett grundläggande nätverk av relationer som binder samman människans och naturens världar.