When elephants listen with their feet Discover extraordinary animal senses

Gr 3--7--Most creatures in the natural world use at least one of their senses to attract a mate, catch or avoid prey, or build a home. This book highlights the extraordinary ways some creatures' unique senses are highly developed. The text is organized by the five senses. There is a section that describes animals that use Earth's electromagnetism and one section on those that use vibrations. For example, the termite will bang its head against the wall using a specific, rapid rhythm to warn the others if the colony is being attacked. The last segment details the "superpowers" of a few animals, such as the sailfin lizard's ability to walk on water as a way to escape danger. The brief descriptions are clear and contain an appropriate amount of scientific terminology. Each section begins with a short introduction to the sense, usually comparing it to humans' use of it. Text boxes feature a realistic image and are attractively laid out on the page to provide a clean, uncluttered format. An index of animals offers additional information about each creature and the corresponding page number. VERDICT A solid contribution to any elementary study of the senses.--Maggie Chase, Boise State Univ., ID

Grundmann and Dupont highlight the ways in which various nonhuman animals display extraordinary sensory capabilities that human bodies lack. A clever title appears on each full-page section starter along with appealing graphic art. For example, the chapter about the sense of smell is entitled "On the Nose" and depicts a Black child picking flowers in a field while, nearby, a fluffy dog appears to sniff at a flower. (Human diversity appears throughout.) Each of the eight chapters presents a wealth of information that has been laid out in a way that encourages browsing. Negative space surrounds small blocks of intriguingly headlined text and numerous colorful, charismatic illustrations. Small lessons in the science behind senses are interspersed amid the many short paragraphs about animals all over the planet. The text is graceful and often humorous, with an extensive vocabulary and fairly complex sentence structure. However, both beginning and struggling readers will likely enlist support rather than turn away from such entertainment as the biggest eyeball on record (the colossal squid) or the peculiar communication methods of the Atlantic herring (passing gas). That said, only some terms are defined, and rudimentary knowledge of evolution is assumed. The three sections beyond the standard five deal with vibration, electromagnetism, and a droll mélange entitled "Superhero Animals." Overall, the book thoughtfully and exuberantly excites wonder in its readers. Sensational sensory stories. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.