Chasing Dragonflies

Chasing Dragonflies
Author: Cindy Crosby
Publisher: Northwestern University Press
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2020-06-15
Genre: Gardening
ISBN: 0810142309

This book is an engaging introduction to dragonflies for a general reader, incorporating facts, conservation information, illustrations, and the author's personal stories.

The Dragonfly Sea

The Dragonfly Sea
Author: Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
Publisher: September Publishing
Total Pages: 584
Release: 2021-09-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1912836491

'One of the most unforgettable books I have read in the last few years... What a writer! What a thinker! What a woman!' Fiammetta Rocco From the award-winning author of Dust comes a magical, sea-saturated, coming-of-age novel that transports readers from Kenya to China and Turkey. On an island in the Lamu Archipelago lives a solitary, stubborn child called Ayaana and her mother, Munira. When a sailor, Muhidin, enters their lives, the child finds something she has never had before: a father. But as Ayaana grows into adulthood, forces of nature and history begin to reshape her life, leading her to distant countries and fraught choices. Selected as a descendant of long-ago Chinese shipwrecked sailors Ayaana is sent to study in China. Leaving her resourceful single mother, she is forced to grow up fast. Whether it's the scarred captain of the Chinese shipping container that transports Ayaana or the son of Turkish shipping magnate who trades in refugees, Owuor never loses a profound sense of empathy for her characters. She evokes a fascinating kind of beauty in this dangerous, chaotic world and its ever-shifting oceans and trade. Told with a glorious lyricism, The Dragonfly Sea is a transcendent story of love and adventure, and of the inexorable need for shelter in a dangerous world. 'One of Africa's most exciting voices ... The Dragonfly Sea is a continent-hopping novel of epic proportions.' Refinery29 'In its omnivorous interest in the world, The Dragonfly Sea is a paean to both cultural diffusion and difference . . . as much as [the novel] traces the globe, it also depicts an internal pilgrimage, its heroine in rose attar a broken saint.' New York Times 'Owuor continues to break ground among contemporary African writers.' Vanity Fair

The Eagle and the Dragon

The Eagle and the Dragon
Author: Chris Duffin
Publisher:
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2019-07-09
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9781544501949

"The world may know Chris Duffin as 'The Mad Scientist of Strength,' but you wouldn't have ever guessed that if you saw the scrawny kid skinning rattlesnakes and chasing dragonflies in the early '80s. The story of his unconventional life will take you from ... tales of murder, trauma, heartbreak, and survival deep in the Pacific Northwest wilderness all the way to an idealization of the self-made man--still flawed, but never broken"--Dust jacket fla

Dragonflies and Damselflies

Dragonflies and Damselflies
Author: Dennis Paulson
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2019-03-26
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0691192537

A lavishly illustrated introduction to the world's dragonflies and damselflies Dragonflies and damselflies are often called birdwatchers’ insects. Large, brightly colored, active in the daytime, and displaying complex and interesting behaviors, they have existed since the days of the dinosaurs, and they continue to flourish. Their ancestors were the biggest insects ever, and they still impress us with their size, the largest bigger than a small hummingbird. There are more than 6,000 odonate species known at present, and you need only visit any wetland on a warm summer day to be enthralled by their stunning colors and fascinating behavior. In this lavishly illustrated natural history, leading dragonfly expert Dennis Paulson offers a comprehensive, accessible, and appealing introduction to the world’s dragonflies and damselflies. The book highlights the impressive skills and abilities of dragonflies and damselflies—superb fliers that can glide, hover, cruise, and capture prey on the wing. It also describes their arsenal of tactics to avoid predators, and their amazing sex life, including dazzling courtship displays, aerial mating, sperm displacement, mate guarding, and male mimicry. Dragonflies and Damselflies includes profiles of more than fifty of the most interesting and beautiful species from around the world. Learn about the Great Cascade Damsel, which breeds only at waterfalls, the mesmerizing flight of Blue-winged Helicopters, and how the larva of the Common Sanddragon can burrow into sand as efficiently as a mole. Combining expert text and excellent color photographs, this is a must-have guide to these remarkable insects. A lavishly illustrated, comprehensive, and accessible natural history that reveals the beauty and diversity of one of the world’s oldest and most popular insect groups Offers a complete guide to the evolution, life cycles, biology, anatomy, behavior, and habitats of dragonflies and damselflies Introduces the 39 families of dragonflies and damselflies through exemplary species accounts Features tips on field observation and lab research, and information on threats and conservation

The Tallgrass Prairie

The Tallgrass Prairie
Author: Cindy Crosby
Publisher: Northwestern University Press
Total Pages: 113
Release: 2017-04-20
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0810135485

More than a region on a map, North America's vast grasslands are an enduring place in the American heart. Unfolding along and beyond the Mississippi River, the tallgrass prairie has entranced and inspired its natives and newcomers as well as American artists and writers from Willa Cather to Mark Twain. The Tallgrass Prairie is a new introduction to the astonishing beauty and biodiversity of these iconic American spaces. Like a walking tour with a literate friend and expert, Cindy Crosby's Tallgrass Prairie prepares travelers and armchair travelers for an adventure in the tallgrass. Crosby's engaging gateway assumes no prior knowledge of tallgrass landscapes, and she acquaints readers with the native plants they’ll discover there. She demystifies botanic plant names and offers engaging mnemonic tips for mastering Latin names with verve and confidence. Visitors to the prairie will learn to identify native plants using the five senses to discover what makes each plant unique or memorable. In the summer, for example, the unusual square stem of cup plant, Silphium perfoliatum, sets it apart from its neighbors. And its distinctive leaf cups water after the rain. A gifted raconteur, Crosby tells stories about how humankind has adopted the prairie as a grocery, an apothecary, and even as a shop for love charms. Rounding out this exceptional introduction are suggestions for experiencing the American prairie, including journaling techniques and sensory experiences, tips for preparing for a hike in tallgrass landscapes, ways to integrate native prairie plants into home landscapes (without upsetting the neighbors), and a wealth of resources for further exploration. An instant classic in the tradition of American naturalist writing, The Tallgrass Prairie will delight not only scholars and policy makers, but guests to tallgrass prairie preserves, outdoors enthusiasts and gardeners, and readers interested in American ecosystems and native plants.

Ten Tiny Tadpoles

Ten Tiny Tadpoles
Author: Debbie Tarbett
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2006
Genre: Children's stories
ISBN: 9780760793930

Ten tiny tadpoles wriggling in a line. One went chasing dragonflies so that left ... nine. Follow the adventures of these bright, bold, 3D tadpoles in this fun and funky counting book with a surprise pop-up page at the end. -- Provided by publisher.

Dragonfly Kites

Dragonfly Kites
Author: Tomson Highway
Publisher:
Total Pages: 32
Release: 2002
Genre: Dragonflies
ISBN: 9780002255271

Joe and Cody spend the summer in northern Manitoba, playing by themselves and catching dragonflies.