Showing results by author "Thornton W. Burgess" in All Categories

"The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver" is another in the long list of children's books by the conservationist Thornton W. Burgess. In this book, the industrious and clever Paddy Beaver, a newcomer to the Green Forest, has encounters with Sammy Jay, Jerry Muskrat, Ol' Man Coyote and other inhabitants of the Green Forest. Along the way, we learn how Paddy builds his dam and his house, and how he stores his food. We also learn little lessons about life, such as the importance of planning before doing.

Buster Bear's Twins is a story about two new residents in the Green Forest, Boxer and Woof Woof bear. The arrival of the Green Forest's newest inhabitants has Peter Rabbit, Chatterer the Red Squirrel, Prickly Porky, Hooty the Owl, and other forest creatures all astir over the goings-on in the Bear household. The two are twin siblings of Buster Bear, who is the subject of a Thornton Burgess audiobook. The twins, under the guidance of their mother, Mrs. Bear, learn important lessons about life and survival in the Green Forest.

Old Granny Fox was a wise old fox who lived with her grandson Reddy. Reddy is young and impulsive and gets into a great deal of trouble because of this. So Granny must teach him the lessons of nature if he is to survive. The practical lessons about theft, gratitude and kindness that Granny teaches Reddy, as in all Thornton Burgess books, promote these virtues to young children listening to this book.

Presented by actor/author Geoffrey Giuliano, here is an exciting "listen while you learn" audio production which promises to entertain, enlighten, and enliven the listener. Icon productions offer a daring, fresh perspective on the hundreds of perennial favorite tales which have inspired generations and imbued a deep love of literature and art in millions over time.

Old Granny Fox and grandson Reddy Fox must use all their cunning to hunt up enough food to survive the long winter. Food in the Green Meadow is scarce but Farmer Brown's hens are locked up tight and protected by Bowser the Hound, so Granny takes a conceited Reddy hunting and teaches him some surprising new tricks to lure in their dinner. Old Granny and Reddy Fox encounter danger and adventure in their quests to keep their bellies full, including a close encounter with Farmer Brown's boy, a clever plot to steal Bowser's food, and an unforeseen thief who might outsmart this sneaky pair.

The Boy Scouts of Woodcraft Camp is the first of Thornton Burgess' Boy Scout books. It features Walter, a scout who has never been to camp. Walter and his fellow scouts experience new adventures. They discover and appreciate people of different backgrounds. As with all Thornton Burgess books, the author promotes good moral lessons for the young reader and listener.

In this work the listener gets to meet a lot of the characters found in later books and stories, all strongly and thoroughly inspired by the author's lifelong love for nature and wildlife. These characters include Peter Rabbit, Jimmy Skunk, Sammy Jay, Bobby Raccoon, Joe Otter, Grandfather Frog, Spotty the Turtle and of course Old Mother West Wind and her Merry Little Breezes, all of them more or less involved in mostly charming but occasionally sad adventures (the fate of little Tommy the trout coming to mind).

Peter Rabbit has a great deal of curiosity and loves to hear stories. In this collection of 16 short stories, Peter Rabbit learns more about many of his neighbors in the Green Forest and the Green Meadows. Sometimes Grandfather Frog tells him a story but there are other neighbors who also share their "knowledge" with him. Mother West Wind's Where Stories explains how Old Mother Nature gives special attention to each creature's special needs when the "world was young".

One day Peter Rabbit sees a strange thing that scares him. He tells many of his friends in the Green Forest who at first don't believe him. Then, after Unc' Billy Possum sees the same thing, others begin to wonder what this strange thing is. Peter eventually learns the truth of what scared him and together with his friends, they start scaring Green Forest predators such as Reddy Fox, Granny Fox, and Ole Man Coyote. But, what is it that is scaring them up on Prickly Porky's hill?

Happy Jack is a grey squirrel who lives in the Green Forest. Like most little creatures, he must fend for himself. Happy Jack has discovered a tree that chocked full of hickory nuts. He wants them to be all his own and believes the tree is his because he found the nuts. But his cousin Chatterer the Red Squirrel doesn't believe this. A loud quarrel ensures between the two along with a chase and suddenly the hickory nuts are gone! Where could they have gone?

Peter Rabbit has no appetite, which is very unusual for him. After thinking about it, Peter decides it is loneliness affecting him. He decides to leave the Old Briar Patch and see the Great World, starting at the Old Pasture. After a close encounter with an old nemesis, Hooty the Owl, Peter discovers that he is still lonely. He runs into Old Jed Thumper who wants nothing more than to chase Peter away. Peter also discovers that Old Jed Thumper has a charming young daughter, Little Miss Fuzzy Tail, who Peter falls for. Their relationship quickly blossoms.

In this collection of 16 short stories, Peter Rabbit learns how many of his neighbors in the Green Forest and the Green Meadows have come to have the attributes they have. Sometimes Grandfather Frog will tell Peter a story but there are other neighbors who also share their "knowledge" with him. For example, Peter wants to know why Mr. Weasel is an outcast. Peter would also like to know why Johnny Chuck sleeps all winter and gets so fat before he goes to sleep.

Mother West Wind's Animal Friends is the first in the series of Mother West Wind books by Thornton W. Burgess. In this book, we learn about the Merry Little Breezes of Mother West Wind, are introduced to Prickly Porky, and discover that Peter Rabbit tends to get into more trouble than he should. We also get more of Grandfather Frog's "when the world was young" fables. Like all Thornton Burgess books, there are good moral lessons for young readers and listeners. Each story is about five to 10 minutes in length which makes them ideal bedtime stories.

Farmer Brown's boy Tommy discovers an old gray stone in the pasture that magically transforms him into whatever animal he wishes to be. He shares adventures with Danny Meadow Mouse, Peter Rabbit, Old Mr. Toad, Paddy the Beaver, and others. Initially, Tommy believes that life for his furry friends is one big happy lark. But he quickly learns that life can be difficult for Mother Nature's furry creatures.

In The Adventures of 'Unc Billy Possum, 'Unc Billy is a new arrival in the Green Forest. He finds he is lonesome in his new home. His almost uncontrollable urge for fresh eggs gets him in trouble with Farmer Brown's boy, and he soon discovers that he has good friends in the Green Forest.

Tuktu and her brother, Aklak, are Eskimo children who live happily with their beloved reindeer in the Northland. When Tuktu is lost in a fog, she meets Santa Claus or the Good Spirit as she knows him. This generous little girl wants to share her reindeer with the children of the world and so works to help Santa on his annual Christmas journey.

Peter Rabbit has a great deal of curiosity. He always wants to learn more about his neighbors. In this collection of 16 short stories, Peter often visits Grandfather Frog to learn more about his neighbors. For instance, Peter wants to know why Striped Chipmunk has such beautiful stripes. Peter would like to know if Buster Bear has a tail. Since Grandfather Frog has lived a long time, he is willing to tell stories to Peter and his friends about how some of these things happened (according to Grandfather Frog).

Blacky the Crow is a clever rascal who lives in the Green Forest and Meadow. He loves to play tricks on the other little people who are his neighbours, and is curious about Farmer Brown’s Boy. Blacky is always thinking about what is right and what is wrong, but he still gets into all kinds of mischief.

We are brought on a couple of adventures with Walter Upton and his Boy Scout friends, this time in Winter. In The Boy Scouts in a Trappers' Camp, the boys learn a whole new set of skills and have to show their greatest level of bravery yet. This is the fourth, and final book in the Boy Scouts' adventures, and does a wonderful job of showing the value that Scouting has brought to their lives in skills they will always have, wisdom upon which they can always build, and memories that they will always cherish.

"Listen," whispered Jimmy Skunk to Peter Rabbit as the strange howling sound echoed through the Green Forest. But Peter was listening. He had never heard anything like it. The sound made cold chills run up and down his backbone. What could it be? Children will love finding out as Peter Rabbit, Jimmy Skunk, Prickly Porky, Granny Fox, Reddy Fox, and other dwellers in the Green Forest react to a new — and scary — neighbor. All ends happily, of course, in this timeless fable by noted storyteller Thornton W. Burgess.