Pre-order
1
of
7
1
of
7
Penguins, Polar Bears & Pandas
How Charismatic Wildlife Inspires Hope
Brief Description
A visually stunning exploration of the world’s most beloved animals—and how their charm, beauty, and familiarity inspire hope and meaningful care for our planet. Why do penguins make us smile, pandas melt our hearts, and polar bears symbolize the fight against climate change? Penguins, Polar Bears...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$4499
$5499
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Pre-order
Releases
10th
November 2026
(Approx. Date)
Pre-order "Penguins, Polar Bears & Pandas" now to secure your copy from our first shipment
Found a better price? Request a price match
Penguins, Polar Bears & Pandas
$4499
$5499
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Latest News
The Books I'd Recommend For Every New Parent
From the very first picture books, the life changing poetry, as well as the books...
Q&A with Nick Thomson from Marrow
If you haven't heard about Marrow butchery in Auckland I highly recommend you give Nick...
The Book Hero Team's July Reads
July was another busy month at Book Hero especially with all the excitement of attending...
New Releases to add to your TBR (5th August)
Check out this week's new release round up with loads of local new non-fiction, some...
Why Everyone Should Read the Classics
Book Hero currently holds well over 1,000 classics in stock in our Auckland warehouse, available...
See more
A visually arresting gift book that reveals why penguins, polar bears, pandas, and other beloved animals move us so deeply—and how their charisma inspires hope, connection, and positive action for the planet.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
A visually stunning exploration of the world’s most beloved animals—and how their charm, beauty, and familiarity inspire hope and meaningful care for our planet.
Why do penguins make us smile, pandas melt our hearts, and polar bears symbolize the fight against climate change? Penguins, Polar Bears and Pandas explores the emotional connection between humans and the animals we find irresistible—and why that connection matters more than ever.
Blending accessible science, storytelling, and extraordinary photography, this book introduces readers to iconic species such as penguins, polar bears, pandas, whales, seals, elephants, big cats, giraffes, monarch butterflies, and great apes. It reveals the psychological and biological reasons we respond to them so strongly. From cuteness and familiarity to intelligence and shared behaviours, these animals become ambassadors for conservation, drawing our attention to fragile ecosystems and inspiring action far beyond their own survival.
Each chapter pairs stunning, close-up wildlife photography with engaging explanations and real-world conservation stories. Readers discover how charismatic animals create a “halo effect,” helping protect entire habitats, and how hope—not fear—is one of the most powerful tools in environmental change.
Written by conservation communicator Dr Wiebke Finkler and illustrated with award-winning photography by Scott Davis, this book is as thoughtful as it is beautiful.
In an era dominated by climate anxiety, Penguins, Polar Bears and Pandas offers something rare: a visually luxurious, intellectually engaging, and genuinely hopeful reminder that connection leads to care, and care leads to change.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781921966941
Publisher: Exisle Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 10 November 2026
Country: Australia
Imprint: Exisle Publishing
Contributors:
- Photographs by Scott Davis
- Illustrated by Scott Davis
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 254.0mm
Height: 254.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 160
About the Author
Dr Wiebke Finkler is a science communicator, filmmaker, and marketing researcher with a background in marine biology. Her work focuses on how storytelling, psychology, and community-based engagement can foster sustainable human–wildlife relationships and positive environmental change. She is a lecturer in marketing at the University of Otago, New Zealand, and has worked extensively at the intersection of conservation, communication, and social impact.
Scott Davis is a wildlife researcher and professional photographer specializing in wildlife, travel, and documentary imagery. Trained as a wildlife and marine biologist, his work has taken him to all seven continents, capturing powerful, intimate images that bring viewers eye to eye with the natural world.
More from Science & Nature
View all-
John and Paul
THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'A triumph.' Deborah Levy, New Statesman 'Tremendous.' Alwyn Turner, The Times 'Revelatory.' Simon Schama, Financial Times 'The gold standard of Beatles books.' Anthony Quinn, Observer 'As enthralling and astonishing as their music.' Jon Dennis, Sunday Telegraph 'A masterpiece.' Dylan Jones, Evening Standard '[Ian Leslie]...Paperback$2800Elsewhere:$3299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Raising Hare
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HATCHARDS AND BIOGRAPHERS' CLUB FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE HAY FESTIVAL, SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR AND iNEWS 'A beautiful book' - ANGELINA JOLIE 'I...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
What If? 10th Anniversary Edition
CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE MILLION-SELLING POP SCIENCE CLASSIC WITH A SPECIAL EDITION. THIS IS WHAT IF? . . . x10. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' — BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' — TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' — NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, experience hilarious and informative answers to important questions...Hardback$4200Elsewhere:$5000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Anxious Generation
A powerful argument for reclaiming childhood—and all human relationships—from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces—communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Prisoners of Geography
Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present, and future to offer crucial insights into one of the major factors that determine world history – because if you don’t know geography, you’ll never have the full picture. Originally published in 2015, this completely revised and updated edition brings it up to date with the events and trends of the past...Paperback$2899Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Diddly Squat: Home to Roost
It's been another memorable year on Diddly Squat Farm - will the chickens finally come home to roost? Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. The spring crop failed. Farming sheep, pigs, and cows was hardly more lucrative (better off breeding ostriches...) But in the face of uncooperative weather, bureaucracy, and the world's persistent refusal to recognise his genius, our hero's not...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Place of Tides
To save the world, we have to start somewhere. One afternoon many years ago, James Rebanks met an old woman on a remote Norwegian island. She lived and worked alone on a tiny rocky outcrop, caring for wild ducks and gathering their down. Hers was a centuries-old trade that had once made men and women rich, but had long been...Paperback$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Ultra-Processed People
Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Kitchen Confidential
The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. ‘Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’ — A.A. Gill ‘Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioli’ — Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Sapiens
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is an extraordinary exploration of humanity's history from the dawn of our species to the present day. Harari delves into our evolution, offering insights into the cognitive revolutions that allowed Homo sapiens to rise above other animal species. Traversing through various stages of human development, he examines the Agricultural Revolution, the unification of humankind through...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Invisible Women
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez is a groundbreaking and meticulously researched exploration into the pervasive gender bias that infiltrates every aspect of our society. Through compelling case studies and thorough analysis, this book unveils the hidden ways women are systematically disadvantaged in a world predominantly designed by and for men. Perez's revelations stretch across various sectors including government policy,...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Clean & Green
Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home. This beautifully illustrated black and white guide with 101 hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips and hacks will help you take small steps that...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
