The first time Hare and Tortoise had a race, Hare stopped and slept while Tortoise kept plodding along to win. Hare was cross that he lost the race, so he wanted to race against Tortoise again. Who do you think won this time?

The CD features twenty-seven songs and the book offers more than 300 activities that teach children about zoo animals, farm animals and pets.

In the delightful Mayan folktale The Dog Who Spoke, we learn what happens when a dog’s master magically transforms into a dog-man who reasons like a man but acts like a dog. This and the other Mayan folktales in this bilingual collection brim with the enchanting creativity of rural Guatemala’s oral culture. In addition to stories about ghosts and humans turning into animals, the volume also offers humorous yarns. Hailing from the Lake Atitlán region in the Guatemalan highlands, these tales reflect the dynamics of, and conflicts between, Guatemala’s Indian, Ladino, and white cultures. The animals, humans, and supernatural forces that figure in these stories represent Mayan cultural values, social mores, and history. James D. Sexton and Fredy Rodríguez-Mejía allow the thirty-three stories to speak for themselves—first in the original Spanish and then in English translations that maintain the meaning and rural inflection of the originals. Available in print for the first time, with a glossary of Indian and Spanish terms, these Guatemalan folktales represent generations of transmitted oral culture that is fast disappearing and deserves a wider audience.

Titles in the Family Pet Series offer basic information to families and children who have little or no experience with pets. The books are easy to read and understand, yet are filled with practical advice and answers to questions that both inexperienced pet owners and kids are certain to ask. Turtles and Tortoises advises on the care of these interesting animals and tells how to distinguish one from the other. Freshwater tortoises have high and more rounded shell shapes than pet freshwater turtles, and unlike turtles, they do not swim. The author advises on the best places to obtain turtles and tortoises, what to feed them, how to set up a minipond, how to understand the animal's body language, and even how to breed these creatures. There are tips on dealing with problems, including skin shedding, and the tendency of some animals to bite one another when kept as pairs. Here is everything that beginning pet owners need to know about the care of these fascinating reptiles. Full-color photos and attractive sidebars on nearly every page.

Spare, dark, and cinematic, The Tortoises describes life in the Nazi reign of terror.

Remnants of an ancient lineage, tortoises date back to the Eocene. Among the five species remaining in North America, Texas tortoises are the smallest in size and inhabit some of the harshest arid environments known. They are also the most neglected by wildlife personnel. In The Texas Tortoise, biologists Francis L. Rose and Frank W. Judd draw on decades of research to offer the first comprehensive account of this fascinating but threatened species. The authors begin by explaining the relationship of the Texas tortoise to other species, fossil as well as extant. They delineate the Texas tortoise’s environment and describe what it eats, how the animal grows and reproduces, and how it behaves. Throughout, Rose and Judd write eloquently about the threats to the species’ survival, reflecting deep concern about its future protection. The authors also discuss Texas tortoises’ significance in supporting other species in their environment—southern Texas and northeastern Mexico—where their survival is threatened by habitat reduction and increasing road traffic. “If you see a tortoise on the roadway,” Rose and Judd admonish the reader, “move it to safety, and drive away as quickly as legally allowed.” It is in fact illegal to collect or possess a Texas tortoise. But for those who do, this book advises how to care for the animal. Tortoises have enjoyed a splendid and diverse history. That they did so well for so long is perplexing, the authors note, as the animals are slow and do not actively defend themselves against predators. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department lists Texas tortoises as “threatened,” and Rose and Judd call on the federal government to do the same. Biologists, conservationists, and turtle enthusiasts alike will find this guide to Texas and other tortoises invaluable.