ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION: THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR Now Available as an E-Book

My book, ON THE BRING OF EXTINCTION: THE CALIFORNIACONDOR, illustrated with photographs by Michael Wallace, is now available as an e-book on Amazon. Originally published in 1993 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich as a hardback and paperback, it documents the work of the Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park to rescue the then nearly extinct condor and restore it in the wild.  

The paper editions of the book have long been out-of-print. I thank the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association Condor Fund for their cooperation in bringing the book back to life as an e-book. You can download it to your tablet, computer or phone to read it. The pages will appear exactly as they do in the print book. Note that it cannot be read on a Kindle e-reader. (It is a print replica file and does not have reflowable text.)

 

PTEROSAURS, Winged Reptiles of the Dinosaur Age: A Visit with Eudimorphodon in Bergamo, Italy

Caroline at the Eudimorphodon exhibit at the Natural History Museum, Bergamo, Italy.

In 2003, when I was researching my book PTEROSAURS: Rulers of the Skies in the Dinosaur Age, I visited the Natural History Museum in Bergamo, Italy, to learn more about Eudimorphodon, the pterosaur whose fossil skeleton had been found in the mountains nearby. (See my post of Feb 24, 2014 about that visit.) 

In early June this year I returned to Bergamo and the museum to get another look at Eudimorphodon and the rest of the exhibits.

The fossil skeleton of Eudomorphodon is remarkably complete.

What I especially like about the exhibit is the diorama depicting a model of Eudimorphodon in flight, demonstrating how it likely caught fish that were its main food. (Fossil scales and fish bones within the skeleton reveal Eudimorphodon’s diet.)

Going back to the museum was like meeting an old friend. PTEROSAURS: Rulers of the Skies in the Dinosaur Age was published in 2004 by Clarion Books. It is still available on Amazon as an e-book and as an audio book. Or, you can look for it in your library.

SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL Now Available as A KINDLE E-BOOK-- Update!

I am happy to report that my memoir SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL: Growing Up in the 1950s at North East Neighborhood House, Minneapolis, Minnesota is now available on Amazon as a print replica Kindle e-book. Because it is published as a print replica the pages appear exactly as they do in the print version. It can be downloaded to your tablet or computer. (Unfortunately, it cannot be read on a Kindle e-reader.) The price for the e-book is $6.99.

Update, November 14, 2024:  SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL is now also available as a Kindle e-book with reflowable text and can be downloaded to your Kindle or phone. YAY!

Meanwhile, SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL continues to get excellent reviews. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, now is the time to order either the paperback version, the print replica e-book version or the Kindle e-book with reflowable text. After you have read the book, I’d love to hear from you and find out what you think. And you can post your review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you!

GIANT SHARK: Megalodon Jaws at the Colchagua Museum, Santa Cruz, Chile

On my recent trip to Chile, I went with my family on an excursion to the Colchagua Museum in Santa Cruz, about a two hour drive from Santiago. The museum begins with the history of the world with fossils from the Earth's past. The fossils include the giant jaws of Megalodon, the huge, now extinct shark that roamed the seas until the beginning of the last Ice Age. It was like meeting an old friend. I had learned about Megalodon when I wrote my book, Giant Shark, published by Clarion Books, and have seen models of its jaws in various museums. It is always impressive!

 Giant Shark: Megalodon, Prehistoric Super Predator with striking illustrations by Laurie Caple is now available as a Kindle e-book on Amazon. Originally published by Clarion Books (2000), the hard cover and paperback editions are now out of print.  This has always been one of my most popular books so I am thrilled to see it available again.

For millions of years, a massive shark more than twice as huge as the modern-day great white shark cruised the depths of the ocean, attacking and devouring prey. Fossil remains reveal megalodon to have been more than fifty feet long, with razor-sharp teeth, each the size of a human hand, and jaws so large it could swallow prey larger than a common dolphin. Fluid, detailed watercolors accompany this clear and accessible account of one of the most incredible creatures to inhabit our world.

SAVING THE PEREGRINE FALCON is now available as an E-Book

My book, SAVING THE PEREGRINE FALCON is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Carolrhoda Books in 1985 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned but the text and full color photos inside are the same as in the original book. SAVING THE PEREGRINE FALCON is illustrated with color photographs by Richard Hewett.  I am happy to have SAVING THE PEREGRINE FALCON now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

For centuries, the peregrine falcon was prized by kings and falconers, who used it to hunt. Bird lovers, too, have long admired the peregrine--which can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour as it dives for prey. Yet a few years ago, it was feared that soon there would be no more peregrines. Pollution of the environment with the poison DDT had interfered with the birds ability to reproduce. This book, illustrated with stunning close-up photos, chronicles the work of scientists at the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Laboratory to save the peregrine from extinction. The peregrine falcon was taken off the endangered species list in 1999 thanks to their efforts and those of other agencies.

CATS: In from the Wild now Available as an e-Book

My book, CATS: In from the Wild is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Carolrhoda Books in 1993 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned but the text and full color photos inside are the same as in the original book. CATS: In from the Wild is illustrated with color photographs by Richard Hewett. I am happy to have CATS: In from the Wild now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer. 

Despite their 6,000-year association with humans, cats still retain elements of their wild ancestry and provide us with the opportunity to experience animal behavior up close. All cats, from the 800-pound tiger to an 8-pound house cat, exhibit similar behaviors. In Cats: In from the Wild you will learn about the domestic cat's history and the many types of cats that exist--both wild and domestic. Through full-color photographs you will get a close-up look at these fascinating animals.

TRAPPED IN TAR: Fossils from the Ice Age NOW IN PAPERBACK at Amazon

My book TRAPPED IN TAR: Fossils From the Ice Age , updated and newly illustrated, is now available as a paperback and e-book on Amazon. Originally published by Clarion Books in 1987 with black and white photos by Richard Hewett. In this new version, the text has been updated and is now illustrated with full color photos by Arthur and Caroline Arnold. I am happy to have TRAPPED IN TAR: Fossils From the Ice Age in print again and available to new readers. In the original version my children, Jennifer and Matt, were some of the models. They have now grown up and have children of their own. In the new book, my grandchildren, Alessandra, Lucas and Paige, are in some of the photos, taken on family trips to the tar pits and the George C. Page Museum. I am grateful for their cheerful cooperation! I also thank my son Matt and son-in-law Humberto for their photo contributions.

Arnold family and Columbian Mammoth at the George C. Page Museum

TRAPPED IN TAR: Fossils From the Ice Age is also available on Amazon as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

Between 10,000 and 40,000 years ago, imperial mammoths, giant ground sloths, and sabertooth cats roamed across the continent of North America. Like the dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago, these Ice Age creatures are extinct today. Only their fossil bones remain.
During the Ice Age, over 400 different kinds of animals lived on the grassy plain that is now Los Angeles. Then, as now, pools of tar sometimes seeped to the surface of the earth. Unwary animals stepped into the sticky tar and were trapped. There they died. Gradually their bones sank to the bottom of the tar seep. In time, the tar penetrated the bones and preserved them.
This book tells the story of the Rancho La Brea fossils and examines the work of the paleontologists who excavate and study them at the George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries in Los Angeles, California.

TRAPPED IN TAR: Fossils From the Ice Age is Now Available as an e-Book and Paperback

My book, TRAPPED IN TAR: Fossils From the Ice Age is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Clarion Books in 1987 and is out of print. That book was illustrated with black and white photos by Richard Hewett. In this new version, the text has been updated and is now illustrated with full color photos by Arthur and Caroline Arnold. I am happy to have TRAPPED IN TAR: Fossils From the Ice Age available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

Update as of July 24, 2018: TRAPPED IN TAR: Fossils from the Ice Age is also available as a paperback on Amazon.

Between 10,000 and 40,000 years ago, imperial mammoths, giant ground sloths, and sabertooth cats roamed across the continent of North America. Like the dinosaurs that lived millions of years ago, these Ice Age creatures are extinct today. Only their fossil bones remain.
During the Ice Age, over 400 different kinds of animals lived on the grassy plain that is now Los Angeles. Then, as now, pools of tar sometimes seeped to the surface of the earth. Unwary animals stepped into the sticky tar and were trapped. There they died. Gradually their bones sank to the bottom of the tar seep. In time, the tar penetrated the bones and preserved them.
This book tells the story of the Rancho La Brea fossils and examines the work of the paleontologists who excavate and study them at the George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries in Los Angeles, California.

SOUTH AMERICAN ANIMALS, Now Available as a Kindle Book

My book, SOUTH AMERICAN ANIMALS is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Morrow Junior Books in 1999 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned but the text and full color photos inside are the same as in the original book. SOUTH AMERICAN ANIMALS is illustrated with pictures that I obtained through photo research from a variety of sources including my own collection. Many came from my trip to South America with my family, which included a visit to Patagonia where we saw penguins, guanacos, condors and all sorts of other wild animals. I am happy to have SOUTH AMERICAN ANIMALS now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

"When a jaguar walks the forest floor, other animals get out of the way. This meat eater is the largest predator in South America. It can grow up to eight feet long. Jaguars hunt at night and can see well in the dark. They feed on alligators, tapirs, and other large forest animals."
Jaguars, monkeys, snakes, birds and many more species make their homes in the vast tropical forests of South America. Other animals, such as guanacos and bears, inhabit its craggy mountain peaks, while penguins and sea turtles migrate annually to is windswept coasts. Still other animals, including several varieties of deer and foxes, roam its open grasslands. This book, filled with twenty-five breathtaking photographs, highlights many of the most fascinating animals of South America.

STORIES IN STONE: Rock Art Pictures by Early Americans is Now Available as an E-Book

My book, STORIES IN STONE: Rock Art Pictures by Early Americans is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Clarion Books in 1996 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned but the text and full color photos inside are the same as in the original book. STORIES IN STONE: Rock Art Pictures by Early Americans is illustrated with beautiful color photographs by Richard Hewett.  I am happy to have STORIES IN STONE: Rock Art Pictures by Early Americans now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

This visit to the canyons of the Coso Range in the California desert reveals thousands of ancient stone engravings of people, animals, and abstract symbols -- evidence of some of the earliest human life in North America. Rock art is one of the oldest known forms of human expression. The rock walls of the Coso Range contain the richest concentration of ancient rock in the Western Hemisphere. Native Americans used this site continuously for thousands of years and created a multitude of designs ranging from tiny figures to life-size human forms and from abstract patterns to clearly recognizable pictures of people and animals. This book provides an exploration into who made this beautiful and mysterious art and why, along with a glimpse of what life may have been like for some of the first people who lived in the high-desert mountains and valleys of western North America.

Human figures are the second most commonly drawn design in the Cosos

WATCHING DESERT WILDLIFE, Now Available as a Kindle Book

WATCHING DESERT WILDLIFE is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Carolrhoda Books in 1994 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned and the text and photos inside the book have been updated. WATCHING DESERT WILDLIFE is illustrated with photos taken by my husband, Arthur Arnold, taken on many visits to the deserts of California and Arizona as well as to the high deserts in the Great Basin, where we had the opportunity to observe the richness of desert life up close. I am happy to have WATCHING DESERT WILDLIFE now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

After a sudden spring rain, the flowers of a giant saguaro cactus bloom. Beneath the hot sun, a lizard flicks its tail and dashes for the shade of an overhanging ledge. Although the desert may seem to be a barren and lifeless place, it is full of plants and animals that have adapted to its harsh environment. In this updated edition of Watching Desert Wildlife, readers go on a guided tour of desert life and explore the fascinating ways in which plant and animals have come to survive in some of North America's driest and hottest places.

A WALK ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF is Now Available as a Kindle Book

A WALK ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Carolrhoda Books in 1988 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned and the text and photos inside the book have been updated. A WALK ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF is illustrated with photos taken by my husband, Arthur Arnold, taken on two trips to Australia that included visits to the Great Barrier Reef, where we had the opportunity to observe reef life up close both above and under the water. I am happy to have A WALK ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

The Great Barrier Reef extends in a chain for over 1,200 miles along the northeast coast of Australia. This living wall is formed by countless tiny animals, and it creates an environment that is home to creatures of amazing diversity. Many of the wonders of the reef are uncovered during low tide on the reef flat. In this revised edition of A WALK ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF author Caroline Arnold leads readers on a tour of discovery as she and photographer Arthur Arnold explore the structure of the reef and the habits of its various inhabitants--from the many species of coral, fish, crabs and giant clams, to the birds and turtles that live along the shore.

EASTER ISLAND is Now a Kindle Book

My book, EASTER ISLAND is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Clarion Books in 2000 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned but the text and full color photos inside are the same as in the original book. EASTER ISLAND is illustrated with my own photos, taken on my visit to the island in 1996. I am happy to have EASTER ISLAND now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

REVIEW
School Library Journal, starred review
Arnold provides a clear and concise look at the island and the many mysteries that surround it, detailing its early settlement, its people and resources, and the rise and fall of its rich and complex civilization. One of the most intriguing questions that remains unanswered is how the ancient Rapanui people carved and erected hundreds of giant stone statues found all over the island. The author carefully explains how scientists have theorized on the early history and how the decimation over time of the islands natural resources and its isolation from trade routes may have led to its decline in population. The book concludes with a quick look at the tourism that is renewing pride in the unique heritage of the few hundred remaining Rapanui people, as the island becomes a model open-air museum.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Although the purpose of the moai [giant statues] that seem to stand sentinel around the famous island is obviously the intriguing mystery here, Arnold sets the stone figures into cultural perspective, examining what archaeologists, anthropologists, missionaries, explorers, and descendants of island settlers have discovered concerning the Polynesians who carved them. In a dozen succinct chapters she surveys the land and its original topography, discusses legends about the earliest settlers, reconstructs how the moai were carved, moved, and placed, and speculates on how deforestation, overfarming, overhunting, clan warfare, and European-borne disease contributed to the decline of the island civilization.

AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS is Now a Kindle Book

My book, AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by HarperCollins in 2000 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned but the text and full color photos inside are the same as in the original book. AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS is illustrated with pictures that I obtained through photo research from a variety of sources including my own collection. Many came from my several trips to Australia, including an extended stay in 1999 when my husband was there doing a research project. I am happy to have AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.


"The continent of Australia is home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife. Tasmanian devil, koalas and echidnas make their homes in leafy forests and woodlands. Other animals, such as kangaroos and wombats, inhabit dry grasslands. Still more species, like the bilbies, live in the hot desert, while along the coast fairy penguins parade to their burrows in the sand. Young readers will discover how each animal--from dingo to glider, quoll to platypus--is able to adapt to its own special environment in the wild." (from the flap of the original book)


REVIEW
School Library Journal
Arnold divides her well-organized text into sections that cover the four diverse biomes that are found on the Australian continent and focuses on particular creatures that inhabit these areas. The two-paragraph text describing each of the 17 animals is encased in a beige block to set it off from the full-color photographic background. Striking, close-up photos complement the author's comments.

AFRICAN ANIMALS is Now a Kindle Book

My book, AFRICAN ANIMALS is now available as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. It was originally published by Morrow Junior Books in 1997 and is out of print. The cover has been redesigned but the text and full color photos inside are the same as in the original book. AFRICAN ANIMALS was my 100th published book! It is illustrated with pictures that I obtained through photo research from a variety of sources including my own collection. Photo research is a bit like being on a treasure hunt and as I searched for just the right photos to illustrate this book it brought back memories of my trip to Africa twenty-five years earlier. I am happy to have it now available to new readers as an e-book. You can read it with a Kindle app on various devices (I use my iPad) or on your computer.

REVIEWS
School Library Journal, March 1997
Superb full-color photography, simple but intelligent language, and excellent organization make this a standout in the growing field of nonfiction for the very young. Almost two dozen African species, mostly mammals, are brought to life and placed in the context of their environs. A brief introduction to this lush continent, and a final note about extinction will get children (and the adults reading to them) thinking about their own place in the world. Animals are grouped by habitat (grasslands, forests, and deserts), and basic locator maps show the extent of each area on the continent. . . .Occasional questions provide a natural segue to open discussion. . . . This is a book that youngsters will want to return to again and again. Share it with story-time groups or suggest it for one-on-one reading.

Booklist, March 1997
Prolific wildlife writer-photographer Arnold takes a lucid look at 20 African animals. arranged by habitat (grasslands, forests, and deserts), the book features color photographs of such wild beasts as zebras, warthogs, and gorillas. . . . They show close-ups of the crocodile's sharp teeth, the dark markings on the cheetah's nose, the python's scaly skin, and the leopard's rosette-shaped spots. Given the brevity and simplicity of the text, it is surprisingly informative. Basic characteristics are cited along with questions to the readers: "How would you like to sleep in a tree at night?" Well done.

AMAZING ANTLERS: Moose Coloring Page

In North America, moose live in Canada, Alaska, northern New England, the Rocky Mountains, northern Minnesota, and northern Michigan. Only male moose have antlers.  New antlers are grown and shed each year and each new set is bigger and heavier than the last.  The largest known moose antlers are 81 inches (2 meters) across and weigh 95 pounds (43 kilograms)!  No two sets of moose antlers are alike.
Antlers first appear in April as small bumps on the head. They are full grown by mid-August. They are the fastest growing bones of any mammal.
To download a coloring page of a male moose, click HERE.
You can learn more about moose in my book A MOOSE'S WORLD (Picture Window Books, 2010.)  Look for A Moose's World in your library.  Or look for the interactive e-book at http://www.capstonepub.com/library/products/moose-s-world-2/ .

WOMBAT Coloring Page

As darkness falls in Australia, a mother and baby wombat come out of their burrow.  They spend the night digging up grasses and roots to eat.  Soon the young wombat will be big enough to live on his own.
For a coloring page of a wombat on its nightly search for food, click here.
You can find out more about wombats in my book A WOMBAT'S WORLD (Picture Window Books, 2008.)  Look for the hardback book in your library.  The interactive e-book is available at http://www.capstonepub.com/library/products/wombat-s-world-2/ .