This bookray seems to be cursed... the first copy Zmrzlina sent out never reached its destination, and the second one made two hops but then disappeared. On the theory that the third time is charmed, I'm registering yet another copy [I liked it so much I bought several to give as Christmas gifts and this one's left over], and will see if it goes any farther!

My comments about the actual book, rather than its travel difficulties {grin}: Oh, this was great fun! Some of the stories actually have some fairly deep thoughts among the frivolity while others are pure slapstick, but they're all entertaining (and many will make you exercise your biological and zoological vocabulary!). I'd have to vote for the mantis as my favorite, with one of the best laugh-out-loud lines in the book: "God had blessed me with the most precious gift he could give a mantis: premature ejaculation." I was also fond of the dormouse, snail, and shark - and the hapless lion... well, they're all great.

GoryDetails, it is incredibly generous of you to replace this book, especially given its seemingly bad karma! I have posted the flight list below, and if (when??) it gets to the end, I will post again on the Bookring/ray/box board and see if others want to try their luck :-)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Flight list as of 6 January 2004

greedyreader in USA (New Jersey)
Mom-of-one in USA (Pennsylvania) skipped...for now. Perhaps Mom-of-one is finding life way too busy and will want to jump on at the end of the list :-)
Rutchmater in USA (Illinois)
kbgoffe in USA (Oregon)

Invoking "third time's charmed," I have sent this off to greedyreader in today's mail. Travel safely, little book!

I know I was next on line for this book when it went postal. Given the high BCID #, I can only think that gorydetails replaced it herself.

Is THANKS a big enough word? I seem to doubt it.

The kid kidnapped my computer. Tis I, greedyreader, who made the last comment.

What a unique and outrageously funny book! I zipped through it and now have to recommend it to everyone. I loved almost every chapter equally, although I felt especially sorry for the bull-elk Viskovitz. All that hard work only to miss out on the mating season. Oh the cruelty of it all!!!

I have Rutchmater's address already on a mailing label. Mom-of-one did not respond to my post so I am mailing this out on Tuesday AM (PO closed at noon and Monday is MLKing holiday).

HUGE thank you to Zmrzlina & gorydetails. I, too, will send with mail confirmation.

Just received the book at the post office this morning [Monday]. I'm 3/4 through Grapes of Wrath so this will be next on Mt. TBR. Looks like a fun read.

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Update
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4 Feb 04 - I just finished The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck so I sure could use some lighter reading. I expect to get through this in a week :)
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On It's Way
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13 Feb 04 - Cannot tell which is my favorite! However I *love* the reoccurrence of the characters in each vignette. Funny pieces, short, no waste of words - fun read.
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EMBARASSED!
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I lost the book! Could not find it no matter where I looked. Dang I hate it when that happens. Thankfully, I wanted to scan the back cover of "The Outermost House" and found "You're an Animal Viskovitz!' sitting right there on the scanner - see the cat rubber stamp picture up there :( ... Profound apologies to the list: it will go out *First Class* in the morning 30 Mar 04 to kbgoffe

I started to try thinking of which was my favorite story and discovered that I really can’t narrow it down much. They are all so good, This was the perfect book to take when I went to my doctor’s recently. She was running behind. I did not seem to notice that it was 45 minutes past my appointment time when I was called back. Sitting in the waiting room I become totally engrossed in this book. Thanks for sharing it.

Passing this on to ellymae58.

Looks like I'll be reading this one after all. :) Arrived in a surprise bookbox from my buddy in Oregon!

Thanks Kim!!

I tried. This just bored me. I gave up.

Heading to caretta on 12/16/04. Happy reading!

Offered in "New" TRADE Paperbacks".

This book arrived yesterday - thanks, ellymae58! This looks like a fun one to read aloud with my husband.

Wonderful premise, but the stories tended to veer too much from the actual biology of the animals and that annoyed me. Granted, I have an extensive background in behavioral ecology, so I may have been overly picky. But the cuckoo story would have been brilliant if only the author had gotten all the details right!

This book is traveling on to a paperbackswap.com member in Boise, ID. Enjoy!