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Books about tapirs
As you may have noticed, there are very few! There has never been a book for adults devoted solely to tapirs, but there have been a few for children. We're including here several books that feature tapirs for much of the book.
Happy As a Tapir
For children, by Terry Carbone; illustrated by Keith Du Quette; 1992. The book is out of print, but Amazon.com will try to get you a used copy.
Horse, tapir & rhinoceros
By Michael Brambell. The book is out of print, but Amazon.com will try to get you a used copy.
Edward, Benjamin, and Butter
By Malcolm Hall, 1981. The book is out of print, but Amazon.com will try to get you a used copy.
Natural history and travel books with tapirs in them
The Tapir's Morning Bath: "Mysteries of the Tropical Rain Forest and the Scientists Who Are Trying to Solve Them"
By Elizabeth Royte, 2001. This book has "tapir" in the title and real tapirs in the text. It sounds fascinating and has received rave reviews across the board. You can buy the book through our link to Amazon.com (above), and you can read about the book, its author, and the animals she encountered on Barro Colorado Island (including tapirs) here. This is a fantastic site. Please check it out!
Travelers' Tales: Thailand
Collected and edited by James O'Reilly and Larry Habegger, 1993. One short chapter, entitled "Tapir Tracks," describes biologist Alan Rabinowtiz's encounter with a tapir. It's beautifully written and (for me) worth the price of the book.
The Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature
By David Quammen, reprinted in 1998. The cover is as lovely as the name. If you like it so far, read the reviews on Amazon.com!
Neotropical Rainforest Mammals: A Field Guide
By Louise H. Emmons, 1997; illustrations by Francois Feer.
Sounds of Neotropical Rainforest Mammals: An Audio Field Guide
By Louise H. Emmons, Bret M. Whitney, and David L. Ross. Two CDs and accompanying booklet; this should be released soon, and we hope that some of the 105 minutes will be tapir sounds.
A biography with tapirs in it
Gerald Durrell
By Douglas Botting, 1999. Believe the reviews found on Amazon.com (at least the first two, as these were the only ones posted as of this notice). This is a wonderful book, engagingly written, about people who are fascinating, down-to-earth, and important. The book tells all, in an open and forthright manner that captivated my interest immediately. And, there's a photo of Claudius the tapir going nose-to-nose with Durrell.
Novels with tapirs in them
These may have only a brief mention of tapirs, but considering how few books are about tapirs, we had to list them!
The Woman and the Ape
By Peter Høeg, reprinted 1997. Crazy escapades feature animals and humans in London. Tapirs are mentioned somewhere in the story.
Penguin Island
By Anatole France, 1940. "To make up for the defect of his eyes [M. Fulgence Tapir's] long and mobile nose, endowed with an exquisite sense of touch, explored the sensible world. By means of this organ Fulgence Tapir put himself in contact with art and beauty. . . ."
The Nutmeg of Consolation
By Patrick O'Brian, 1993. An exciting sea tale told in the manner of a 19th century novel. The ship's surgeon tells of being bitten by a baby tapir when he tried to rescue it!
The Magician's Nephew
By C.S. Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes. Click on the title to read the great reviews written by adults and students. This is part of at 7-volume set entitled, "The Chronicles of Narnia." The first volume, The Magician's Nephew, includes a Malayan tapir among the animals trying to figure out what a London cab driver is doing in their magical realm. In fact, they are trying to figure out which species of animal he is. (Thanks to Karin for finding this book!)
Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man
By Thomas Mann. Felix Krull tells lots of "tall tales." In one case he tries to explain to a travelling companion how the man's horse is related to a tapir. He gets the connection "sort of" right. Written by a master, the book gets high marks in Amazon.com's reviews.
There's more. . . .
Tapirs in Literary Works and Film
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