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Early Book Review: The Surprising Lives of Animals: How They Can Laugh, Play and Misbehave! by Anna Claybourne

The Surprising Lives of Animals: How They Can Laugh, Play and Misbehave! by Anna Claybourne is a non fiction children's book currently scheduled for release on February 4 2020. Did you know that some animals giggle and play just like us? Or that certain animals build their homes, stockpile their food, and use tools? In this book you’ll learn about the things that humans and animals have in common. From team work, exercise, and self-care to dancing and getting into trouble, you’ll discover that, actually, animals are a lot like you! Visiting underground burrows and grassy savannas, watery realms, and towering tree tops, this book will take you around the world on a journey of discovery. Meet the monkeys who love to take baths, or the penguins who toboggan for fun. Hear the stories of escaping honey badgers, sneaky spiders, and clever crows. Or find out if animals can really talk. You’ll see plenty of Earth’s creatures, from creepy crawlies to mega mammals, and you’ll learn about their lives, habitats, characteristics, and behaviors–and uncover what makes each of them so surprisingly similar to us humans. Look out for ‘Scientist Spotlight’ boxes too, to learn about some important scientists and conservationists, such as Sir David Attenborough and Dame Jane Goodall.

The Surprising Lives of Animals is a wonderful nonfiction book that shows just how smart, and like people, animals can be in their lives. There was a good deal of information that was new to me, and I like that it was organized by type of behavior rather than animal,  which I felt shows just how universal emotion and some behaviors really are. I found the wide variety of animals, and the variety of climates and locations that they are found, further showed the universal nature I was talking about. I found the information about the animals, their behavior, and the spotlights on scientists that work in the field to all be well written and engaging. I think that the illustrations are well done and add both further details and interest to each page. I found myself studying some of the images for details referred to in the nearby text or just enjoying the skill that went into them. I also like that they took the time to include a glossary and resources for further reading. I can think of many readers, children and adults, that would enjoy this read.

The Surprising Lives of Animals is a wonderful look at just how much the behavior of animals mirrors human behavior. It teaches a great deal about the animals and the behaviors covered, and could be a good tool to encourage empathy and care for all creatures. 

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