WildLives: 50 Extraordinary Animals that Made History

You love to read books about the extraordinary exploits of extraordinary people, right? How about the extraordinary exploits of animals? Who are the most famous animals in history? And what have been their accomplishments?

Animals have had some pretty amazing accomplishments, it turns out. You may have heard of Balto, the sled dog who led the team of dogs who brought medicine to children with diphtheria in Alaska. Extraordinary. What about Seabiscuit, the small horse that ended up being a champion racehorse? Koko the gorilla who learned sign language? Pale Male, a red-tailed hawk who nested in New York City? Elsa the lion? Now read about Ozy, the octopus who could open a jar in seconds, and Kamunyak, the lion who adopted baby antelopes, and William Windsor, the goat who served in the British Army, and many more.

This would be fun for third to fifth graders who could read it themselves, but it would also be fun as a read-aloud for younger children.