The Zebra And The Black Pony

Eight year-old Maria wants a black pony more than anything in the world. She excitedly hopes that her upcoming birthday is the day her dream will come true. Although her parents can't afford a black pony, a local petting zoo is going out of business and has offered them a free zebra named Ace. When her parents bring Ace home and present him to Maria for her birthday, she is terribly disappointed. Because she doesn't want to hurt their feelings, she pretends to be happy. At night though, she secretly hopes and prays that Ace will transform into the black pony she desires. Maria believes that if she loves him enough, takes really good care of him, and wishes strongly enough, and tells him how cool black ponies are, he will change into the pet she wants. Eventually Ace, who recognizes her disappointment, feels dejected and runs away. He knows that he is not wanted. After Ace is gone, Maria realizes that she truly loves him. In a frantic search her family helps her find him and welcome him back home. Ace is reluctant to return home but Maria assures him that she loves him and accepts him as the zebra he is. The Zebra and the Black Pony is a story about hope, love, understanding, and accepting those as they are. On the surface, The Zebra and the Black Pony is simply a children's book; however, it can be used as a powerful tool for personal growth. Dr. Ferrentelli wrote the story specifically to be used with Transformational Storytelling, a therapeutic method of storytelling she uses in her practice. Stories and storytellers have been around for thousands of years. We can relate to the characters and their actions. Stories also move us in powerful ways. Because we are one level removed from the action, we can see things more objectively. It is the character's plight, not ours. This empathy can lead us to a deeper understanding of ourselves. The first part of the book explains how this method of personal growth can be used. Readers can return to the story again and again for new insights.

"It's February 2000. Tropical Cyclone Leon-Eline collides with the Mozambican coast and in forty-eight hours the Limpopo River breaks its banks. It has risen eleven metres above its normal flood level. Then the riverbanks start to crumble. On Mashatu Game Reserve frantic horses are thrashing around in the rising water. Hay bales two metres high fly past, bouncing like rubber balls. Saddles and wheelbarrows sit in the tops of trees. Ruff manages to break down the paddock gate, herd the horses through the gap and chase them out into the wild. The horses of Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris spend most of their time out grazing and know the lie of the land; most of the horses return but not Zulu. He is thought to be lost to the scourges of the Bushveld. Years pass before Zulu is discovered to be not only alive and well, but running as the lead stallion of a herd of wild zebras. He is recaptured and returned to the safari stables as a much bolder and wiser stallion - knowledge he passes on to the other horses as well as the humans of Limpopo Valley. Following in the footsteps of Jock of the Bushveld, Running Wild is an African story for all ages. It is a tale of resilience, of courage and endurance, a book that will uplift, enrich and warm every lover of the African bush."--Provided by publisher

Why do zebras have stripes? Popular explanations range from camouflage to confusion of predators, social facilitation, and even temperature regulation. It is a challenge to test these proposals on large animals living in the wild, but using a combination of careful observations, simple field experiments, comparative information, and logic, Caro concludes that black-and-white stripes are an adaptation to thwart biting fly attack.

This first paperback edition of a Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Book is a comprehensive, illustrated compilation of essays by some of the world's foremost authorities on horses. Horses through Time examines in laymen's terms the development of the lineage of horses through the paleontological record, the domestication of horses based on the archaeological record, the history of the interplay between humans and horses, the lively history of equestrian sports, and advances in equine veterinary medicine. To put horses in a global perspective, the book also discusses the living relatives of horses. Every chapter is topped off with exquisite photographs of horses, most of them in color.

This is an invaluable collection of essays on interesting subjects, including zoology, marine animals, insects, and fisheries. A. E. Sir Shipley, the famous English zoologist and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, shared his knowledge in simple words making it accessible to the common public. Contents include: Pearls And Parasites The Depths of The Sea British Sea-fisheries Zebras, Horses, And Hybrids Pasteur Malaria 'Infinite Torment of Flies' The Danger of Flies Cambridge