Humans are the only species that talks in the way we do, but plenty of other animals have their own ways of communicating, whether through singing, whistling, barking, thumping or smelling each other’s poop.
Wild Languages of Mother Nature: 48 Stories of How Nature Communicates by Gabby Dawnay and illustrated by Margaux Samson Abadie, shares the ways different species of animals communicate with each other. From the thumping of kangaroo tails to warn about danger to the chatter of Egyptian fruit bats, each story of how animals talk to each other is shared on a two-page spread with drawings of different animals, the ways they tell each other things and what they might be saying to each other.
For example, mama black bears communicate with their cubs through scent and body language, and make various vocalizations to sound threatening or show they aren’t a threat, or to calm their babies for sleep.
While some of these stories may be familiar, like how humpback whales or chimpanzees communicate, others might be new to you, such as the cooperation between meerkats and drongo, black songbirds that also live in the Kalahari Desert, who sometimes warn meerkats of approaching danger (but also sometimes tease them by mimicking the warning calls of meerkats when there’s no danger).
You’ll learn about the honks of koalas, how squirrels use body languages to hide acorns from each other, and how jackdaws (a kind of bird) call on each other to fight off danger.
This is a great book for kids who are interested in animals and love fun facts. It would be a nice one to keep in the classroom so you can refer to the page about a particular animal when you’re talking about them for other reasons, or when you want to fill time and learn something new you can pick the book up and read a few pages.
About the book: 112 pages, hardcover, published 2024 by Wide-Eyed Editions. Suggested retail price $30.
