Animal Ark


Animal Ark is a children's book series written by a collection of authors under the direction of Ben M. Baglio using the pseudonym Lucy Daniels starting in 1994. They have now been published in the USA under the name Ben M. Baglio as a pseudonym for the authors who write the books. Each author is named with a 'Special Thanks' on the copyright page. The age the books are aimed at is usually agreed as 8 plus.
The general plot of each book features Mandy, the daughter of the local veterinarian, finding animals in trouble and trying to help them with the assistance of her best friend James, and other people in the village. Animal Ark is the name of the vet surgery.
The Animal Ark books have been adapted for a television series, and a magazine, Animal Ark, has been published to accompany the books. The magazine helps to support the Jean Byrd Animal Rescue and Education Centre near Shamwari, South Africa through the Born Free Foundation.

The books

Note: Editions for the United States are numbered differently from those of the United Kingdom. This is primarily because not all of the Animal Ark Series books were published in the United States.
The original Animal Ark Series consisted of 94 books written between 1994–2008. Although the majority of the stories centred around Mandy Hope and her parents vet practice, Animal Ark, in the town of Welford in Yorkshire, a number of stories took readers to other continents around the world. The original series also included a number of books labelled as Summer Specials or Holiday Specials. In fact, by late 2003, the Animal Ark Series was mainly publishing holiday specials including Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas.

Animal Ark

Animal Ark Summer Specials

1. Seals on the Shore

2. Ponies at the Point

3. Pigs at a Picnic

4. Pup at the Palace

5. Porpoise in a Pool

6. Stallion in a Stable

7. Siamese in the Sun

Animal Ark Holiday Specials

1. Sheepdog in the Snow

2. Kitten in the Cold

3. Fox in the Frost

4. Hamster in the Holly

5. Pony in a Package/Pony at the Post

6. Mouse in the Mistletoe

7. Terrier in the Tinsel

8. Cats in the Candlelight

9. Racehorse in the Rain

10. Collie with a Card Valentine Special

11. Bunny in a Basket Easter Special

12. Cat in the Candycorn Halloween Special

13. Puppy in a Present Christmas Special

14. Husky with a Heart Valentine Special

15. Mustang in the Mist Easter Special

16. Beagle in a Backpack Halloween Special

17. Colt on Christmas Eve Christmas Special

18. Pony in a Pumpkin Patch Halloween Special

19. Spaniel in a Stocking Christmas Special

20. Kitty in the Candy Hearts Valentine Special

21. Dalmatian in the Daisies Easter Special

22. Stallion in Spooky Hollow Halloween Special

23. Tabby under the Tree Christmas Special

24. Corgi in the Cupcakes Valentine Special

25. Poodle in the Pansies Easter Special

26. Labrador in the Leaves Halloween Special

Animal Ark Hauntings series

Animal Ark Hauntings are a series of spin-off books focusing on animal ghost stories.

1. Stallion in the Storm

2. Cat in the Crypt

3. Dog in the Dungeon

4. Colt in the Cave

5. Foal in the Fog

6. Hound on the Heath

7. Wolf at the Window

8. Cats in the Castle

9. Deer in the Darkness

Animal Ark Pets

1. Puppy Puzzle

2. Kitten Crowd

3. Rabbit Race

4. Hamster Hotel

5. Mouse Magic

6. Chick Challenge

7. Pony Parade

8. Guinea-pig Gang

9. Gerbil Genius

10. Duckling Diary

11. Lamb Lessons

12. Doggy Dare

13. Donkey Derby

14. Hedgehog Home

15. Frog Friends

16. Bunny Bonanza

17. Ferret Fun

18. Rat Riddle

19. Cat Crazy

20. Pets' Party

21. Foal Frolics

22. Cat's Cradle

23. Piglet Pranks

24. Spaniel Surprise

25. Pet Pals

26. Kitten Kisses

Little Animal Ark

1. The Playful Puppy

2. The Curious Kitten

3. The Midnight Mouse

4. The Brave Bunny

5. The Clever Cat

6. The Party Pony

7. The Lucky Lamb

8. The Cheeky Chick

9. The Happy Hamster

10. The Proud Piglet

11. The Fearless Fox

12. The Friendly Foal

Animal Ark Specials

1. The Kitten That Won First Prize: and other Animal Stories

2. Animal Ark Favorites

Television series

A television adaption of the Animal Ark books was created and broadcast on CITV in the United Kingdom. Each episode covered a book, sharing its title and plot. The series ran for two series with a total of thirteen episodes, running from 4 September 1997 to 7 July 1998.