Dogs vs. Humans: A Showdown of the Senses

by Stephanie Gibeault, Bambi Edlund (Illustrator)

Overview

Whose five senses are superior: dogs or humans?

In a showdown of the senses, who would come out as top dog: canines or humans? This junior nonfiction book for ages 6 to 9 creates a fierce but fun competition, comparing the ways dogs and humans perceive the world through each of the five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.

As dogs and humans are playfully pitted against each other, with one round for each sense, young readers will discover the scientific and evolutionary explanations behind our differences. It’s a close race! Humans win for sight, with better depth perception, distance, and color vision. But dogs are stronger sniffers—with their noses, some can even locate people buried in an avalanche or detect an illness before a doctor has diagnosed it. And the winner is … Well, in the end, it’s a tie!

With lively, cartoon-style illustrations, this book is an engaging and informative introduction to dog behavior that can help kids better understand and appreciate their canine companions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771475785
Publisher:	Owlkids Books
Publication date:	03/18/2025
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.75(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.39(d)
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

STEPHANIE GIBEAULT is a children’s author who holds a Master of Science in animal behavior, a bachelor’s degree in ecology and evolution, and a professional dog trainer certification. She adores dogs, escape rooms, and photography, and lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario.

BAMBI EDLUND is an illustrator, writer, and critter sculptor living on the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia. She never, ever gets tired of drawing dogs.

Editorial Reviews

[A] romp of a book ... While dog-lovers will be especially enthusiastic, this is a broadly appealing dive into a deeper understanding of the five senses."

Booklist

2024-11-23
When it comes to perceiving the world, who scores highest: people or pooches?

For readers who wonder how dogs can be so good at “spotting squirrelswaaay across the park and hunting down unattended hamburgers,” Gibeault has answers (along with a couple of cheesy dad jokes). Rightly noting that dogs, just like humans, vary widely in individual capacities, she briefly notes that canines’ senses were passed down from their wolfish forbears. She then points out that while dogs may be more sensitive to movements, humans actually have better depth perception and see a broader spectrum of colors as a rule. If Round 1 goes to the humans, Round 2 definitely goes to the dogs, thanks to canine scent receptors and nasal anatomy superbly adapted to reading doggy butts and “pee-mail” on the local hydrant. Readers curious about which contestants will taste or feel the victory in subsequent rounds, or who gets the “upper paw” in hearing, may be in for some surprises. The final tally ends up a tie, which may be a bit of a cheat, but, following an unscored bonus round about magnetoreception (which dogs demonstrably have and humans might), the author sensibly concludes that for all their differences, “dogs are great at being dogs, and humans are great at being humans.” Both are on display in Edlund’s cartoon illustrations in a variety of breeds, ages, and hues.

A tasty morsel for dog owners and dog lovers. (glossary)(Informational picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews