A famed zookeeper reflects on his lifelong love of animals—and his decision to build them a home—in this memoir by the author of the Corfu Trilogy. The first word Gerald Durrell could say with any clarity was “zoo.” Animals were his passion. His early years in India were full of routine visits to the local zoo, and if his nursemaid attempted to deviate from this routine, the result was usually a tantrum. Years later, when Durrell decided to set up the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust—which would later become the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust—he didn’t want it to be like other zoos. He didn’t want a place where animals were simply imprisoned, where parents reluctantly brought their children to get sick on ice cream. More than a place for entertainment, Durrell’s zoo needed to be a place for education, research, and conservation. But achieving his goal would force him to question if wild animals really did belong in the care of humans. The Stationary Ark is an entertaining and thoughtful look at a career in zookeeping from the man who inspired acclaimed Masterpiece production The Durrells in Corfu, which aired on public television. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

Once thought to be extinct, the Aye-aye, one of the world's strangest creatures, is now found only in small, isolated colonies. Durrell's mission to Madagascar was to try and capture some, bring them back to his world-famous zoo on the island of Jersey, and breed them. Although on a serious scientific expedition, Gerald Durrell has a unique vision and inimitable sense of humor that make his observations and comments wondrously funny no matter how difficult or trying the circumstances. Nothing escapes his sharp eye, whether he is describing the great zoma market, the village dances, the dangerous bridges and river crossings, the strange foods and stranger magic, or the vagaries of local officialdom.

You know about Noah, but what about the animals? Thimblerig is a little groundhog with big problems. He's a loner con-artist who's losing his mojo; the wild dogs who run the forest harass him at every turn; he's started having vivid nightmares of apocalyptic floods; and worst of all - he believes he sees unicorns when everyone knows unicorns are only the stuff of legend. But what one animal calls problems, Thimblerig calls opportunity. His problems inspire him to come up with the ultimate con: convincing a group of gullible animals that a world-ending flood is coming, that the fabled unicorns have told him where the only safe place will be, and that only he can lead them to safety. And all for a reasonable price, of course. But when the flood really does come, Thimblerig has a choice to make: either he really does save the ones who have trusted him, or he loses everything. And he discovers that his problems have only just begun.

The beloved naturist and author of My Family and Other Animals shares the pleasures and pitfalls of opening a zoo on the English Channel Island of Jersey. Spurred by his passion for animals and a lifelong dream, in the spring of 1959 Gerald Durrell opened the Jersey Zoo—now known as the Durrell Wildlife Park—on the grounds of an old manor house. The menagerie provided a safe habitat for rare and endangered species and exposed its human visitors to the wonders of nature. Dealing with escapee animals and overdrawn bank accounts, Durrell soon discovered that owning and operating a fledgling zoo was no easy task. But despite the setbacks, these charming, often hilarious stories make clear that, for Durrell, ensuring the park’s success and helping the creatures he loved so dearly was worth any obstacle. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.

'What we all need,' said Larry, 'is sunshine . . . a country where we can grow.' 'Yes, dear, that would be nice,' agreed Mother, not really listening. 'I had a letter from George this morning - he says Corfu's wonderful. Why don't we pack up and go to Greece?' 'Very well, dear, if you like,' said Mother unguardedly. Escaping the ills of the British climate, the Durrell family - acne-ridden Margo, gun-toting Leslie, bookworm Lawrence and budding naturalist Gerry, along with their long-suffering mother and Roger the dog - take off for the island of Corfu. But the Durrells find that, reluctantly, they must share their various villas with a menagerie of local fauna - among them scorpions, geckos, toads, bats and butterflies. Recounted with immense humour and charm My Family and Other Animals is a wonderful account of a rare, magical childhood. 'Durrell has an uncanny knack of discovering human as well as animal eccentricities' Sunday Telegraph

1. It is a series of English Coursebooks, Workbooks and Literature Readers for classes 1 to 8. 2. Wall of Fame : At the beginning of the book is a gallery of famous authors and characters that the child will meet inside. 3. The use of Graphic Organisers, Timelines and Graphic retelling of stories help develop critical thinking and study skills in learners—two vital tools for learning. 4. Based on the NCF, the series guides learners through the seven stages of a brain-based approach to learning i.e. Pre-exposure, Preparation, Initiation & Acquisition, Elaboration, Incubation & memory encoding, verification & Confidence check, celebration & Integration. 5. The 5Ps address the above stages as follows : Ponder: aids the learners in pre-acquisition of concepts by setting the context, while preparing them to read the text with the aid of the glossary and in-text questions. Prepare: immerses the learners into the context and initiates holistic learning. It helps in the acquisition of newer perspectives through task-based activities. Practise: lays out the canvas for the stage of elaboration, in which the learners analyse and evaluate the text while applying their understanding of it. Perfect: aids memory encoding through drilling of vocabulary and grammar topics. It helps with incubation of concepts. Perform: functions as a confidence check for learners and ensures verification of their performative skills. This stage of summing up allows a functional integration of acquired concepts, leading to a celebration of learning. 6. Cross-curricular (CC) links weave references from other subjects through the chapters. 7. Task-Based Learning (TBL) activities present learners with real-life situations within the classroom. 8. Life Skills (LS) are enhanced through challenging texts and value-based concept checking questions (CCQs). 9. Tense Timelines (5-8): On the last page of the book is a graphic representation of Tenses. 10. Full page Illustrations and Double-spreads in lower classes make learning fun and interesting.

1. It is a series of English coursebooks and workbooks for classes 1 to 8, based on the new curriculum published by the CISCE 2. The series is crafted for learners of the 21st century, for whom it is of foremost importance to learn how to learn. 3. The use of Graphic Organisers, Timelines and Graphic retelling of stories develop critical thinking and study skills in learners—two vital tools for learning. 4. The series guides learners through the seven stages of a brain-based approach to learning. 5. The 5Ps address the above mentioned seven stages as follows - Ponder: aids the learners in pre-acquisition of concepts by setting the context, while preparing them to read the text with the aid of the glossary and in-text questions. Prepare: immerses the learners into the context and initiates holistic learning. It helps in the acquisition of newer perspectives through task-based activities. Practise: lays out the canvas for the stage of elaboration, in which the learners analyse and evaluate the text while applying their understanding of it. Perfect: aids memory encoding through drilling of vocabulary and grammar topics. It helps with incubation of concepts. Perform: functions as a confidence check for learners and ensures verification of their performative skills. This stage of summing up allows a functional integration of acquired concepts, leading to a celebration of learning. 6. Subject Integration (SI) tasks weave cross-curricular references through the chapters. 7. Task-Based Learning (TBL) activities present learners with real-life situations within the classroom. 8. Life Skills (LS) are enhanced through challenging texts and value-based concept checking questions (CCQs). 9. Wall of fame: At the beginning of the book is a gallery of famous authors and characters that the child will meet inside. 10. Tense Timelines (5-8): On the last page of the book is a graphic represetation of Tenses. 11. Full page illustrations and Double-spreads in lower classes make learning fun and interesting.

'I once travelled back from Africa on a ship with an Irish captain who did not like animals. This was unfortunate, because most of my luggage consisted of about two hundred odd cages of assorted wildlife . . .' Gerald Durrell's accounts of the animals he encountered on his travels were some of the first widely shared descriptions of the world's most extraordinary animals. Moving from the West Coast of Africa to the northern tip of South America - and elsewhere - Durrell observes the courtships, wars and characters of a variety of creatures, from birds of paradise, to ants and anteaters, among others. Told with his trademark charm and humour, Gerald Durrell's Encounters with Animals is a uniquely entertaining exploration of some of the world's most striking landscapes and the wildlife it is home to.

David Childress, popular author and star of the History Channel’s show Ancient Aliens, takes us on an incredible journey in search of the truth about (and science behind) the fantastic Biblical artifact known as the Ark of the Covenant. This object made by Moses at Mount Sinai—part wooden-metal box and part golden statue—had the power to create “lightning” to kill people, and also to fly and lead people through the wilderness. Featured in such popular movies as Raiders of the Lost Ark by Lucas and Spielberg, the Ark of the Covenant is probably the most mysterious object in the Old Testament—what was it? Was it an ancient electrical device? The Ark of the Covenant suddenly disappears from the Bible record and what happened to it is not mentioned. Was it hidden in the underground passages of King Solomon’s temple and later discovered by the Knights Templar? Was it taken through Egypt to Ethiopia as many Coptic Christians believe? Childress looks into hidden history, astonishing ancient technology, and a 3,000-year-old mystery that continues to fascinate millions of people today.

“First-rate entertainment”: The author of the Corfu Trilogy recounts his expedition to Madagascar and search for the elusive, endangered aye-aye (Publishers Weekly). In 1990, Gerald Durrell; his wife, Lee; and a television crew embarked on a rescue mission to one of the most interesting places in the world: the island of Madagascar. It was there that they hoped to record and capture the endangered aye-aye, the world’s largest nocturnal primate. Recognizable by its big eyes and long fingers, the strange, rare aye-aye was an animal of incredible fascination for Durrell, one he felt compelled to conserve as its habitat was taken away by deforestation. In this passionate memoir, Durrell’s funny, vibrant voice shines as he describes the magical landscape of Madagascar, the exotic animals that inhabit it, and the challenges of his expedition to preserve an important part of our ever-changing world. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author’s estate.