In addition to covering typical informational subjects, [Peter Wohlleben] speaks to high-interest questions and those not usually seen in children’s books. For instance, readers can find out what happens to animal poop, if there can ever be too many animals, if animals dream …. A great resource for kids to start thinking about and exploring the natural world.”
—Booklist
“Smart, fun, funny, and fact-packed, [Do You Know Where the Animals Live?] is an irresistible introduction to the endlessly enchanting lives of our fellow creatures.”
—Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus
“I absolutely love this book. Children of all ages—and adults too—will be fascinated and motivated to go out and explore the wonders of the animal kingdom in their area. Every family should have a copy and every school library one or more. In fact, Do You Know Where Animals Live? should be part of the curriculum.”
—Jane Goodall
“[Wohlleben] turns his keen eye to some incredible creatures to share his knowledge about what it’s like to be an animal.”
—Globe and Mail
“A great book to put in the hands of any kid who wants to grow up to be a forest ranger, zoo keeper, veterinarian, animal trainer.”
—Archimedes Notebook
“This book is so big-hearted, so inviting, and so packed with fun info and things to do that when I first saw it I kept thinking, ‘I wish this existed when I was a kid.’ You’re lucky this terrific book is here now for you!”
—Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words; What Animals Think and Feel
“Peter Wohlleben's Do You Know Where the Animals Live? is an excellent and easy-to-read rich source of information about the fascinating lives of many of the other animals—including neighbors we encounter daily—with whom we share our magnificent planet.”
—Marc Bekoff, author of Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do and Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible
“This book is a perfect remedy for Nature Deficit Disorder. By posing questions, revealing little-known facts, and suggesting activities, Wohlleben delightfully cultivates curiosity and stokes stewardship in children and, I hope, their parents.”
—Jonathan Balcombe, author of Super Fly, and What a Fish Knows
“From the man who taught the whole world that plants ‘talk,’ and ‘feel,’ and warn their friends of danger, comes an utterly charming book for young readers. Parents: If you read this out loud to your children, I guarantee that you too will learn something you didn’t know. I did not know, for example, that whales have no lips, and the mother must squirt milk into her child.”
—Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author of the New York Times bestsellers When Elephants Weep and Dogs Never Lie about Love
“The captivating photographic cover ...will reach out to student animal lovers. They will read this book for pleasure as they learn about all things wild animals….the author delivers….Interesting enough to be read cover to cover, this title would also work well for primary research with its table of contents and extensive index. Educators can use this title to teach these text features along with picture captions and an engaging, conversational narrative. Recommended.”
—School Library Connections
09/13/2021
This richly detailed animal reference volume moves beyond conventional information—such as shelters, diets, and migratory patterns—to deeper investigations into animals’ emotional lives, focusing on those found predominantly in North American and Europe. Animals laugh, German writer Wohlleben (Peter and the Tree Children) reveals: “Dogs pant, horses whinny, and you can’t hear anything at all with rats... Scientists have to use special microphones to hear the laughter of rats.” In easily digestible blocks of text, readers learn how creatures exhibit bravery and even care for other species: a crow raises a kitten, a humpback whale protects a seal from orcas. Each spread offers a sidebar (“Try This!”), as well as quiz questions; full-color photographs enrich every section, while a warm translation by Tanaka renders Wohlleben’s prose conversational: “When the larvae hatch, they’ll often stay together in kindergartens. If a newt or fish comes to eat them, they’ll jerk like crazy all together in the water, which totally confuses the hunter.” Though differences between egg-laying and milk production are examined, reproduction is not explicitly covered; still, compassion for both the animals and readers throughout makes this an approachable, valuable primer. Ages 7–9. (May)
2021-03-17
Seven short chapters answer a wide range of questions about, in the renowned naturalist’s words, “the hidden, exciting, dangerous, and funny world of animals.”
Each chapter, covering topics such as habitat, survival techniques, and emotions, is divided into two-page subsections, each headed by a question. Colorful photographs abound, as do sidebars exhorting readers to “Look!” or “Try this!” At least six suggested activities require a backyard, but many others are more broadly accessible. Scattered quizzes are enticing, but the tiny answers are barely legible. Otherwise, the layout is excellent for browsing through and stopping at whatever photograph or question seems interesting. Some casual browsers may stop to read about great tits for prurient reasons, but they will come away with cutting-edge insights about bird personalities. Author Wohlleben’s enthusiasm for investigating all kinds of animals shines through, whether he is giving facts about common insects, anecdotes about his own pets, or stories gleaned from places far from the forest he tends in Germany. Who knew that a parrot in the rainforest can make comrades “screech with pleasure” by dropping down and pretending it cannot fly? The text is conversational and accessible, sometimes subtly and other times overtly encouraging readers both to respect and care for other species and to recognize themselves as part of the animal world. It contains more breadth and less depth than Wohlleben’s Can You Hear the Trees Talking? (2019).
Science-based cheerleading, in the best possible sense. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)
