Thornton Waldo Burgess (1874–1965) was an American naturalist-researcher and a classic of 20th-century children’s literature. He knew animals’ habits very well and could tell about them brilliantly to children. Over time, Burgess began recording these stories. That’s how a huge series of fairy tales appeared—around 15,000—about Peter Rabbit, his friends, and other inhabitants of a place invented by the writer: the Green Forest, the Laughing Brook, the Friendly Pond, the Violet Hills, and the Thorny Ravine. The heroes of the second book in the series sometimes get into trouble, but they always make the right conclusions. On the surface, dull-looking Uncle Jabs turns out to be a wonderful singer. He sometimes likes to hold his head high, but the residents of the Green Forest and the Laughing Brook quickly manage to re-educate him. And the unusual newcomer, Dick Nedotrog, a porcupine, is not a handsome fellow either—but what a character! He helps teach a lesson to the braggart squirrel Rui and to his grandmother, Aunt Plutizia the fox—and at the same time to the cunning coyote. The author lovingly and carefully describes the characters and habits of his heroes, weaving in information about their way of life: what they eat, how they hunt, what their homes look like, and so on. Great, engaging, and useful reading for children aged 5–8. The book is also good for family reading.