Our relationship with bears is complex. Some people think of bears as big, cuddly pets, while others see them as dangerous, wild animals. Many people want bears left undisturbed in the wild, while others want to hunt and kill them, confine them in zoos or use them for their fur, meat or body parts. It?s clear that bears are popular animals almost everywhere in the world. They?re featured in fables, cartoons, children?s books, television shows, documentary films and other media. In 5 Bears I mention two that have become famous: Winnie, the real bear that led to the story Winnie the Pooh, and Wojtek, the soldier bear who became a war hero. I also talk about lesser known bears like Yupi, a polar bear who lived in Mexico, Jasper, who was rescued from a bear farm in China, and Vince who now lives at a sanctuary in the United States. I hope their stories show what their lives were, and are, really like and the issues and challenges that all bears face. There are many myths and misunderstandings about bears. In 5 Bears I hope to set the record straight and convince you that bears deserve our respect, compassion and protection. Today, bears in the wild are threatened and many bears in captivity are suffering. They need our help to ensure they survive and prosper in the years ahead. I hope after reading this book you?ll decide it?s time for you to do your part to help bears.

From the award-winning author of No Shelter Here: Making the World a Kinder Place for Dogs and Cat Champions: Caring for our Feline Friends comes an inspiring book about bats, their importance to a wide range of ecosystems, and the young "bat citizens" who are engaged in conservation efforts around the world. In Bat Citizens: Defending the Ninjas of the Night, celebrated animal activist and biologist Rob Laidlaw sheds light on these famously shadowy mammals, from their habits and habitats to their importance for maintaining biodiversity. Bat biology is explored alongside the history of human-bat relations, with facts to fascinate even the most nervous reader. Spotlight features on "Bat Citizens" make this an empowering book for children seeking their own expressions of global citizenship. With informational sidebars, colour photographs, a glossary and index, and a center-gatefold bat illustration, Bat Citizens is a book that will both instruct and inspire.

A Green Earth Book Award Children's Nonfiction Honor Book about bat biology, habits, history, and the conservation efforts of young people around the world returns in a new sturdy paperback edition.

Around the world, young people are making a difference in the lives of cats. In Cat Champions: Caring for our Feline Friends, meet kids who are helping at shelters, fostering kittens, volunteering with sterilization programs, and caring for abandoned cats. Animal advocate Rob Laidlaw brings readers a hopeful, inspiring look at the issues facing domesticated and feral cats, and the "Cat Champions" who are working to help them. Informational sidebars throughout the book describe issues facing cats ("The Cat’s Out of the Bag") as well as good-news feline facts ("The Cat’s Meow"). Filled with colour photographs and real-life stories, Cat Champions will inspire and empower readers of all ages.

In a full-color dog book unlike any other, acclaimed children's nonfiction author Rob Laidlaw delves into the history and evolution of dogs as human companions, and empowers young readers to promote the health and happiness of dogs in their own lives and beyond.

The goal of a puppy mill is to produce the maximum number of puppies in the cheapest way possible. That's why expensive items - proper housing, care, food, and medical attention - are ignored. Dogs have been loyal to Humankind for thousands of years. We cherish them as companions, groom them as show dogs and depend on them as working partners. But today, millions of dogs are neglected and malnourished. And millions of other dogs are used in scientific research and for entertainment, and kept as pets in a remarkable diversity of conditions. In No Shelter Here, animal advocate and chartered biologist Rob Laidlaw explores the world of homeless, free ranging, mistreated, and exploited dogs, and the challenges they face. But more importantly, he focuses on the people he calls "dog champions" - those individuals, small groups and professional organizations around the world who dedicate their lives to helping dogs. Enhanced with photos, informational sidebars and inspiring good-news stories, No Shelter Here will galvanize young readers to become Dog Champions in their own communities.