Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom

It is exactly like Isaiah 11:6: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid . . . " Written by National Geographic magazine writer Jennifer Holland, Unlikely Friendships documents one heartwarming tale after another of animals who, with nothing else in common, bond in the most unexpected ways. A cat and a bird. A mare and a fawn. An elephant and a sheep. A snake and a hamster. The well-documented stories of Koko the gorilla and All Ball the kitten; and the hippo Owen and the tortoise Mzee. And almost inexplicable stories of predators befriending prey--an Indian leopard slips into a village every night to sleep with a calf. A lionness mothers a baby oryx. Ms. Holland narrates the details and arc of each story, and also offers insights into why--how the young leopard, probably motherless, sought maternal comfort with the calf, and how a baby oryx inspired the same mothering instinct in the lionness. Or, in the story of Kizzy, a nervous retired Greyhound, and Murphy, a red tabby, how cats and dogs actually understand each other's body language. With Murphy's friendship and support, Kizzy recovered from life as a racing dog and became a confident, loyal family pet.

These are the most amazing friendships between species, collected from around the world and documented in a selection of full-color candid photographs.

Publisher: Workman Publishing
Published: 06/30/2011
Pages: 224
Weight: 1.1lbs
Size: 8.00h x 7.00w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780761159131

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 6.7
Point Value: 6
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 168688 / Unlikely Loves: 43 Heartwarming True Stories from the Animal Kingdom


Award: Nautilus Award - Winner


Review Citation(s):
People Weekly 07/18/2011 pg. 48
Booklist 08/01/2011 pg. 10
Shelf Awareness 07/15/2011

About the Author
Holland, Jennifer S.: -

Jennifer S. Holland is a contributing writer for National Geographic. She has also written for, among others, The Discovery Channel, NPR, and The New York Times, specializing in science and natural history.