A lion yawns lazily in the grass. Curious giraffes crane their long necks. Step into this rich world of animals from an extraordinary illustrator whose work influenced generations of younger artists. Each animal's essence is strikingly captured, from the playfulness of otters to a noisy gathering of parrots, while panoramic pictures give a real sense of the animals' habitats. Collective nouns -- some familiar, others wonderfully surprising -- are used to describe each group of animals. Brian Wildsmith's stunning illustrations will inspire a love of nature and a respect for animals from the earliest age.