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It’s Monday morning—woof. Instead of worrying about the week ahead, watch this video of a boxer puppy meeting some cows! It’s sure to melt your heart (and your anxieties).
For more charming stories of unusual animal pairings, pick up a copy of Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland.
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We’ve brought you lots of stories about all sorts of unlikely animal friendships: Elephant dotes on dog. Deer protects goose. Puppy plays with pony. But today’s story, which comes to us from the U.K.’s Daily Mail, takes things to a whole new level. Not only is Jack the sheep best friends with a sheepdog—he thinks he is one!
Watch below to learn the story of Jack, a lamb who was born on a farm and raised alongside his owners’ springer spaniel named Jesse. Just like his canine brother, Jack loves to chase sticks and go for walks on a leash. He even helps out when it’s time to herd the other sheep!
For more awwww-inspiring stories of interspecies buddies, pick up a copy of Jennifer S. Holland’s New York Times bestselling book Unlikely Friendships.
Like many kids who grew up in suburban New England, I spent a lot of my childhood outdoors. Yes, I did enjoy reading on the top bunk/bed-fort, but I also liked to climb the pine tree in my back yard and build enormous snow castles at the end of my driveway. (These were also good places to read.)
Despite a love of nature, I never once went camping as a child—at least not what I considered real camping. My parents weren’t (and still aren’t) really into the whole not-sleeping-in-a-bed thing, so they didn’t take me and my siblings on any trips that involved mosquitoes or canned food or “roughing it.” Another problem was my mindset: To me, camping required lots of gear, none of which we had. Okay, we had sleeping bags, but they were cotton and covered with pictures of Snoopy and the gang—no waterproof exterior, no thermal lining, more appropriate for the living room rug than the forest floor. We couldn’t cook a hot-dog or roast marshmallows because we didn’t have a camping stove, and our parents certainly wouldn’t allow us to start a roaring campfire without their help. And, probably the clincher, we didn’t even have a tent. Talk about pathetic.
Thinking back, I shouldn’t have felt so hopeless, because the truth is that I really did do a lot of camping, just not in the traditional sense. I never pitched a tent, but I did spend more than one night sleeping on a friend’s backyard trampoline. And roasting marshmallows was a bit of a Fourth of a July tradition in our neighborhood; granted, they were roasted over the barbecue, but the s’mores surely tasted just as sweet.
All this (phew!) to say that it’s August, and summer is winding down, and you should definitely give “real” camping a try if you’re able. Below is an excerpt from Camp Out!, the ultimate guide to camping for kids, that details the intricacies of finding the perfect spot for your tent, and what to do once you’re set up. And remember that you can still have fun even if the “perfect spot” for your tent just happens to be your living room.
As for me, I still haven’t parked myself in the woods for a night, but I’ve come close the few times that I’ve gone to Bonnaroo, an annual music and arts festival in Tennessee. There am I in front of my tent with a real camping stove and a really large number of mosquito bites. Perfection.
From Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids’ Guide, by Lynne Brunelle
Location, Location, Location
No matter what type of tent you have, before you put it anywhere, think about the location in terms of water, sun, slope (is it on a hill or in a ditch?), ground surface, and wind. Tents are incredible contraptions, but they work best when smartly placed. After all, the tent is your outdoor bedroom; in some ways, it’s the most important room in the “house”!
Settling In
Once your tent is set up, go on in and make yourself at home. Roll out your sleeping pad and sleeping bag and let them sit while you explore your site. Next, air out your tent, which can get a bit stuffy and funky-smelling: Open the windows, keep the screens closed, and let the air (not the bugs) flow through. If weather permits, leave your backpack or duffel bag outside the tent to maximize space inside. Cover it with a garbage bag so it doesn’t get soaked with morning dew.
As a baby, Themba the elephant lost his mother to a terrible accident. When no other female in the herd adopted him, vets at the South African nature reserve where he lived found him an unlikely companion: Albert the sheep. Although initially wary of one another, the two soon bonded. They napped in tandem, played together, and Themba even rested his trunk on Albert’s woolly back as they explored their enclosure.
Below, check out a clip from the National Geographic TV show “Unlikely Animal Friends” that captures their special relationship, from awkward first encounter to best-friends-forever.
This is just one of 47 spectacular—not to mention adorable—stories of interspecies companionship featured in Jennifer S. Holland’s Unlikely Friendships. Pick up a copy today and let the awww-ing commence!
As if we needed more evidence of the wonders of the animal kingdom, the early success of Unlikely Friendships–a book that tells of 47 remarkable, heartwarming animal friendships–proves that unconditional love exists across all boundaries–race, gender, even species. The book debuts at #6 on the New York Times Best Sellers Trade Paperback Nonfiction list and is #22 on the Combined Hardcover & Paperback Nonfiction list.
In celebration, we’re posting the video of a particular pair–Tara and Bella, the elephant and the dog–who came together at an Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and whose adorable story (via CBS Evening News) fast became an internet sensation. They’re featured in the book, along with famous gorilla Koko and her kitten, All Ball; the hippo Owen and the tortoise Mzee; and Kizzee, the Greyhound, and Murphy, the tabby, who prove that cats and dogs really can get along!
If this video leaves you with the need to coo at some more inter-species pals, check out the article and slideshow that Parade magazine put together about the book to further indulge in the wonder of it all.
In honor of today’s holiday (eh?)–that’s right, Canada Day!–we’ve assembled a small gaggle of geese for your viewing pleasure. Oh, and they happen to be courtesy of our very own Matthew Diffee, New Yorker cartoonist and editor of the forthcoming The Best of the Rejection Collection. One of these cartoons made it into the New Yorker, but the other, having been rejected, will be featured in the book, branded with the “Too Difficult to Get” stamp (although we think it’s pretty darn hilarious…). So, happy Canada Day to you!
Bonus points if, while you’re reading this post, you’re a) playing hockey, b) eating Canadian bacon, c) taking your flock of geese for a waddle, d) thinking about reading the complete works of Avery (one-quarter Canadian!) on the Workman blog, or e) [insert alternate Canadian stereotype here]. If you can send proof that you’re doing all of these things while reading this post, we will send you a signed copy of The Best of the Rejection Collection on publication.
from the June 6, 2011 issue of the New Yorker
Oooh, and if you haven’t already, head over to Matt Diffee’s Facebook page or Matt Diffee’s WhoSay page to enter the weekly caption contest to win the original drawing!
When plans to escape the city fell through on a sunny Saturday, my friends and I did what any backyard-deficient New Yorker would do and headed to Central Park. Packed in our bags were the essential staples of a summer afternoon—a frisbee; a baseball and gloves; salads of the egg, fruit, and potato variety—and the bible of the season, Suzanne Brown’s Summer: A User’s Guide, a book packed with tips for making the most of a warm afternoon.
Like Ms. Brown, I am madly in love with summer—the smell of Coppertone is enough to get my heart racing—so in honor of the first day of the season, I bring you one of her tips for living life to the fullest in the upcoming months:
How to Play Beach Volleyball
Scout out a quiet place away from the water and sunbathers, then draw lines in the sand that measure approximately 30 feet wide by 60 feet long.
The serving player must hit the ball over the net and inside the court lines within three attempts. If the server fails to successfully place the ball within three serves, the opposing team gains control.
Players rotate positions clockwise whenever their team gains control of the ball (Thus, each team has a new server at that time.)
Once the ball is hit over the net to the opposing team, a player cannot contact the ball twice in a row unless the first touch is off a block at the net. A player cannot grab the ball, allow it to come to rest in his hand, or touch the net. If he does so, he forfeits the ball to the opposing team.
A point is earned when the serving team wins a rally, or an ace is served.
The first team to reach 15 points wins. A match is played in sets of three or five games.
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This summer (which officially starts TODAY!), before you head off to your beach bungalow, pack a picnic for the park, or spend a day in the shade, pick up Summer: A User’s Guide and make the best of this short and sweet season.
I know we just told you recently that there are plenty of fish in the sea, but… in reality, that adage may be on the verge of irrelevance. Just last month was the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a solemn reminder that there is much work to be done if we are to save our oceans from disappearing.
Enter World Without Fish, a game-changing book for kids about what’s happening to fish, the oceans, and our environment, and what they can do about it. The book has been enjoying a bit of a media blitz since it came out. Along with this coverage has come an onslaught of Q&As with the author, with some useful information about what adults can do to help. Here’s a round-up of the best questions and answers:
From the NY Times blog Diner’s Journal
What is the one most important action most of us can take to support healthy oceans?
My local farmer’s market has a stand that sells cod, skate, monkfish, ahi tuna, sea bass etc. (many fish that are on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s list of fish-to-avoid.) Are these fish still bad/endangered if caught by a small-scale fisherman in local waters? Also, it seems to me that all the fish they sell are either endangered (the ones listed above) or mercury-laden (bluefish, striped bass). I really like fish! — which fish local to N.Y.C. can I eat (besides shellfish and squid, which I do often buy) without feeling guilty or unhealthy?
I spend a fair amount of space in my book explaining these lists. They are to be used advisedly. I have discussed with the Monterey aquarium their tendency to paint in very large strokes. By condemning entire species they are inadvertently also calling for the boycott of some very sustainable little fisheries. All such lists tend to do this. Monterrey says they are trying to keep it simple and that they invite people to do closer research on their Web site and in other places. Cape Cod cod and Georges Bank haddock, for example are environmentally friendly choices from sustainable fisheries when they are caught by hook and line — simple lines, not long lines — one group of fishermen that do this label their fish “Chatham Cod.” Such fishermen bring slightly higher prices by handling their fish carefully and bringing it to market quickly. High quality guilt-free fish. Its hard to do but you need much more information than fish-to-avoid lists. For mercury the rule is the higher on the food chain the more mercury so if you eat fish everyday some of those fish should be small ones like sardines.
From the LA Times blog Jacket Copy
In “The World Without Fish: How Kids Can Help Save the Oceans,” you take some themes you’ve touched on before — fish, fishing, sustainability and our oceans — and address them to children. How did you make the subject approachable?
Because of all the books I have done related to this topic I have traveled all over the country talking to adults and children in schools about what is happening in the oceans and I have found two things. There are a lot of people who are really concerned, kids in particular, and there is complete confusion and misunderstanding. This is partly because it is a very complicated problem and partly because fishermen, regulators and biologists all talk in extremely inaccessible language, full of inside codes and assumptions. I set out to explain the whole thing in simple, clear language, step by step, starting with Charles Darwin, who explained the natural order we are trying to deal with. I use careful explained biology, politics, economics. I use text and pictures and a graphic novel that puts it in human terms. I tell what is happening, what will happen if we don’t fix it, how we are trying to fix it, what the problems are and what concerned individuals can do about it.
Is fish too cheap?
Cheap fish is one of the big problems. I promote the idea that fish ought to be expensive. You catch fewer fish, they are of a higher quality and fishermen get better price for them. The agricultural people, like Michael Pollan, are saying the same thing about produce, which raises the question – what are poor people supposed to be eating? I wish I had a smart answer for that.
You once worked as a commercial fisherman…
I always wanted to be a writer and I had in my head that a writer should either go to sea or go to war. There was a war available at the time but the sea was a much better idea. I did it for a couple of summers, to earn money for college.
My most memorable job was on a lobster boat. I was a pretty strong kid and they just needed someone who could haul pots on 200ft of line. We didn’t have a radio; sometimes you’d hear this roar, see a dark shadow and realise a freighter was bearing down on you. I never gave one thought to how dangerous it was. I absolutely loved it.
Many years later I was on a commercial fishing boat as a reporter and I wondered why the hell I’d liked it so much.
So working on boats has informed your work?
It did, it gave me a great fondness and admiration for fisherman, and a love of the sea. Wherever I go I’m always drawn to fishing ports. Fishermen are a special breed of people, they are not salaried, they are self-employed and often working for a share of the catch. It makes them a very independent, self-assured breed of people. I like blue-collar society. Communities of rich people tend to be very boring.
You sport a fisherman-type beard…
I just got back from a fly fishing trip to Idaho with my daughter for rainbow trout. There’s a photograph in the book of me with beard and daughter documenting the first fish she ever caught, a striped bass. The great irony of it is that in a book that talks a lot about overfishing there’s a shot of the author with an illegal oversize fish. I assure you we threw it back.
Wicked bugs should always be accompanied by wicked (awesome) cupcakes! (Thanks, Amy!)
And we’re celebrating. In fact, we’re just itching to tell you all about Amy Stewart‘s new book (published by our bookworm friends at Algonquin), Wicked Bugs. There’s quite the buzz already, as the book swarms the Indie Bestseller List, making its debut at #12! Bugs gone wild!
From the most painful hornet to millipedes that stop traffic, from the louse that conquered Napoleon’s army to the Japanese beetles that munch on our roses, these bugs have been very, very bad.
Have you been bitten?
Amy Stewart is also the author of the New York Times Bestsellers Wicked Plants and Flower Confidential, as well as The Earth Moved, and From the Ground Up.
10 FASCINATING FACTS FROM MARK KURLANSKY’S WORLD WITHOUT FISH
Coming in April 2011–click here to learn more
1. Scientists say that the number of large fish in the ocean has decreased by 90% over the past 50 years.
2. Mammals usually give birth to one to six babies. A bird will lay this many eggs. A fish will lay millions of eggs. For years, people assumed that this meant that fish have millions of babies. Only recently have scientists come to understand that a fish will usually have only one to six surviving babies, just like a mammal or a bird.
Coelecanth
3. There are about 20,000 known species of fish, though there may be many more we don’t know about. Occasionally, a new fish is discovered, as was the case with the coelacanth, a fish thought to have died out with the dinosaurs that turned up on the deck of a South African trawler in 1938. There may be fish that are disappearing without our ever knowing that they existed.
4. The Orange Roughy is a red deepwater fish that gets its name from the orange color it turns after it dies (the fact that it’s named for appearance when dead shows that few people have ever seen it alive). When Orange Roughy became a fashionable international menu item in the 1970s, it was not understood that this species was very different from the other fish we commonly eat. Today, scientists estimate that the Orange Roughy lives for 150 years, which is at least five times as long as the lifespan of most of the fish we know. The problem is that it grows very slowly and isn’t capable of producing offspring until it is twenty years old, making it particularly susceptible to overfishing. Because we didn’t realize this in the 1970s, the Orange Roughy became one of the world’s most threatened fish within decades of being discovered.
5. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest known concentration of floating trash in the world. Located in the north central Pacific Ocean (the area between Japan and the United States), the Patch is alternately estimated to be from one-eighth to twice the size of the United States. The patch is fed by debris from both land and ships. Ocean currents carry the garbage to a point where it becomes a fairly stable patch. Sometimes there are recognizable objects in the patch, such as a chair or a satellite dish, but it is mostly made up of plastics because, unlike organic debris, plastics can’t be readily absorbed by natural processes. Consequently, they are highly poisonous to fish and birds that eat them.
Patagonian Toothfish
6. There is no such thing as a true Chilean Sea Bass. The fish we know as the Chilean Sea Bass is actually a Patagonian Toothfish, which is not a bass at all, and, for that matter, not necessarily from Chile. Since a “Patagonian Toothfish” doesn’t sound very appetizing, the alternate name was created to market the fish internationally.
7. Today, fishing is still considered to be the most dangerous job in the world. Fishermen risk the highest percentage of death and injury—more than even firefighters or policemen.
8. Most farmed fish we eat today are fed wild fish that are caught by massive net draggers the size of factories. These net draggers indiscriminately scoop up wild fish by the thousands and grind them into fish meal, which is then pressed into fish pellets to feed the fish back on the farm.
9. Ninety percent of the fishing people do is within 200 miles of land, and most of the proven fishing grounds of the planet are now under the exclusive control of a single nation or group of nations. Some of the most destructive fishing is done by wealthy countries off the coasts of poor ones.
10. Because they live in thick, overcrowded pens and swim much less than their wild cousins, some species of farmed fish no longer resemble their wild ancestors. Farmed striped bass are much smaller than wild striped bass, and have an entirely different shape to their pointy heads and short bodies. What’s more, since a fish pen lacks predators and is largely protected from storms and temperature changes, a farmed fish would probably not know how to survive in the wild. If a farmed fish mated with a wild fish, their offspring might also lack these survival skills. Consequently, even just a few escaped farm fish accidentally released into the wild could menace the survival of an entire wild population.
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