A long time ago in Vienna, Austria, a starling was for sale in a shop. Star wasn’t fancy or flashy, but he had a marvelous voice and could mimic intricate songs. When a passerby recognized his own musical composition being chirped, Star found a new friend in Mozart. Mozart purchased Star and took him home to his Vienna apartments, where Star and his maestro continued to compose and make music that echoed around the world and is still played and performed today.

Star and the Maestro is based on the true story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his pet starling, Star. With a rhythmic, rhyming text and beautiful, detailed illustrations, this picture book will appeal to families, librarians, classroom teachers, and animal and music lovers of all ages. An excellent read-aloud, this entertaining and child-friendly nonfiction picture book is about the special bond between two talented musicians and the unique ways in which humans and animals interact and features extensive back matter by noted biologist Thor Hanson.

A fascinating insight into climate change biology around the globe, as well as in our own backyards.

Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is the first major book by a biologist to focus on the fascinating story of how the natural world is adjusting, adapting, and sometimes measurably evolving in response to climate change. Lyrical and thought-provoking, this book broadens the climate focus from humans to the wider lattice of life.

Bestselling nature writer Thor Hanson – author of Buzz (a Radio 4 ‘Book of the Week’) – shows us how Caribbean lizards have grown larger toe pads to grip trees more tightly during frequent hurricanes; and how the ‘plasticity’ of squid has allowed them to change their body size and breeding habits to cope with altered sea temperatures.

Plants and animals have a great deal to teach us about the nature of what comes next, because for many of them, and also for many of us, that world is already here.

Bestselling nature writer Thor Hanson – author of Buzz (a Radio 4 ‘Book of the Week’) – shows us how Caribbean lizards have grown larger toe pads to grip trees more tightly during frequent hurricanes; and how the ‘plasticity’ of squid has allowed them to change their body size and breeding habits to cope with altered sea temperatures.

Plants and animals have a great deal to teach us about the nature of what comes next, because for many of them, and also for many of us, that world is already here.