Nature Mysteries

Explore the world through its most unlikely creatures: Cryptozoology, the study of hidden, monstrous, and legendary animals, is truly the art of discovering the unknown. Richard Freeman, Zoological Director of Centre for Fortean Zoology, has explored the corners of the five continents on the search for creatures that many people believe are non-existent. In this book, he shares the exciting stories of his investigations of the Yeti, Mongolian Deathworm, Loch Ness Monster, Orang-Pendak, Ninki-Naka, and more.

Precious Ramotswe gets a very special treat. She gets a trip to visit her Aunty Bee at a safari camp. On her first day in camp, a new lion arrives. But this is no average lion: Teddy is an actor-lion who came with a film crew. When Teddy escapes, Precious and her resourceful new friend Khumo decide to use their detective skills to help track him. They will brave the wilds of the bush - and its hippos and crocodiles - as they try to find where Teddy has gone.

The monumental statues of Easter Island, both so magisterial and so forlorn, gazing out in their imposing rows over the island’s barren landscape, have been the source of great mystery ever since the island was first discovered by Europeans on Easter Sunday 1722. How could the ancient people who inhabited this tiny speck of land, the most remote in the vast expanse of the Pacific islands, have built such monumental works?

A shipment of dinosaur bones meant for a new exhibit has been stolen from the Capitol City Natural History Museum! But even worse, the group of paleontologists working on the shipment has disappeared, too - and among them is Wilson Kipper’s mother. Wilson and his friends are determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, but can they do it in time to save his missing mom?

When the Dearly's Dalmatians have their first litter of puppies (fifteen in all) everyone is delighted. But their joy is shattered when the pups are kidnapped! The humans don't have a clue as to who the culprit is, but the smartest dogs in London are on the case, and on the trail of fur-loving Cruella de Vil, who will stop at nothing to have a Dalmatian fur coat!

It's the first day of quail season, and Plato the Bird Dog is missing. At first, Hank is willing to let him stay lost. But when Beulah pleads for help, Hank caves in and takes off in search of Plato. Before he can catch a scent of spotted bird-dog, he finds himself face-to-face with an angry mother hog and her litter. Can Hank's quick wits help him out of this fix? Or will he become hogmeat?

On a blustery day in late fall, Hank sneaks into the back of Slim's pickup and finds himself at a neighboring rancher's fall branding...the very neighbor, in fact, who owns the gorgeous Miss Scamper the Beagle! Unfortunately, Miss Scamper has always been a little hard to figure out, and he can't decide if she's crazy about him...or just plain crazy. And, as the day unfolds, it even begins to look like she's angling to land him in a heap of trouble with her pit bull boyfriend, Steel!

J.J. Tully is a former search-and rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he's not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs) and their chicken mom show up demanding his help to track down their missing siblings. But driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues.

Meet Tyrone the Tyrannosaurus, Green Lawn’s newest–and biggest!–visitor. The kids’ old friend Jud Wheat is in town raising funds for a dinosaur museum. But after the show in Green Lawn, all Jud’s money disappears! Can Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose track down the cash?

When Queenie the cat wins first place in a feline beauty contest at the county fair, Arthur the dog expects her to be snootier than ever. (Even though she barely beat out another cat who looked almost exactly like her.) Yet when Queenie returns from the fair, she seems oddly nice and sociable - almost like she's had a personality change! The humans chalk up Queenie's good mood to her recent win, but Arthur knows the truth. He can tell from the smell that this friendly Queenie is an imposter!

The Aldens are helping out at a rescue ranch, taking care of horses that need extra attention. Jessie’s favorite is a beautiful horse named Dragon. But when Dragon and some of the other horses disappear from the pasture, the Boxcar Children must saddle up for a mystery. What’s happening to the horses at the Dare to Dream Ranch?

Get ready for laughs when you listen to these excerpts from ten of Hank's stories. Performed in the style of an old-time radio show, complete with sound effects and a unique voice for each character! You will hear Hank as he bargains for a priceless corncob, learns about manners from Wallace the Buzzard, runs into Rip and Snort the coyote brothers, taunts a raging rottweiler, gets into trouble with Sally May the rancher's wife, and more!

No sooner has Sally May finished planting her vegetable garden when some kind of unearthly being decides to burrow in the neatly planted rows of tomatoes and peppers. It looks like a job for the Head of Ranch Security, so Hank sets straight to work trying to dig the space monster robot out of its hole.

Dive into an enchanting underwater world with Caster and Onni in this captivating tale of friendship, courage, and adventure. When a mysterious call echoes through their peaceful Coral Village, these two brave friends set off on a perilous journey to answer its plea. Along the way, they'll encounter a giant lobster guarding ancient secrets, navigate a treacherous whirlpool, and restore light to a forgotten underwater cave. But as they venture deeper into the unknown, they'll discover that a greater darkness lurks beneath the surface, threatening to engulf their beloved ocean.

No self-respecting Head of Ranch Security would be caught dead sleeping on the job...so when Slim catches Hank asleep, not once but TWICE, Hank knows something sinister is afoot. And, if that's the case, then odds are that Pete the Barncat is involved. Later that day, the case takes an interesting twist when Hank learns that Pete has been missing for two days! Worried about her precious kitty, Sally May asks Slim and Hank to find and rescue Pete from whatever trouble he might’ve found himself in.

The ranch is in the grip of a sweltering summer heat wave, and to make matters worse, Bruiser the Rottweiler is on the loose. First Bruiser attacks a defenseless fawn, then he threatens to come after Hank the Cowdog, the Head of Ranch Security!

Bowser the dog is doing great. He's been adopted by Birdie, the greatest girl in the world, and he gets lots of love, lots of walks, and sometimes even bacon! But why is Birdie looking so worried? Who broke into their house? Why is the new girl in town digging into the old mystery of what really happened to Birdie's dad, a policeman killed in the line of duty? Bowser better keep his ears perked and his paws at the ready. A murder case that went cold long ago is fixing to get way too hot.

Hank and Drover have just hitched an accidental ride into town in the back of Slim's pickup, and boy, are they excited! But the excitement turns to drama when Drover mysteriously disappears! Can Hank track down his faithful sidekick before it's time for Slim to head back to the ranch? Or is he off on a wild goose chase?

Honey Santana, impassioned, willful, possibly bipolar, self-proclaimed "queen of lost causes", has a scheme to help rid the world of irresponsibility, indifference, and dinnertime sales calls. She's taking rude, gullible Relentless, Inc., telemarketer Boyd Shreave and his less-than-enthusiastic mistress, Eugenie, into the wilderness of Florida's Ten Thousand Islands for a gentle lesson in civility.

It's scrap day on the ranch, and Hank is looking forward to a delicious feast of juicy, fatty bacon scraps. But just as Little Alfred is doling out the goods, two very unusual-looking creatures fly overhead, and what was promising to be a glorious day takes a dramatic turn for the worse. Suddenly the scraps have vanished, and the Head of Ranch Security finds himself dealing with an invasion by a couple of ancient dinosaur birds! Can Hank get to the bottom of this latest mystery...before it's too late?