2009 Book Award Finalists

Animal Behavior Society Outstanding Children’s Book Award - 2009

Each year, the Education Committee presents an award for an outstanding children’s book that emphasizes animal behavior. This year, we received 60 submissions from 23 publishers in the United States and Canada. The review committee (Sue Margulis, Danielle Lee, Wendy Hein, and John Roche) completed first round evaluations and narrowed the field to four finalists. The Committee then solicited reviews from children in grades 3-5, and donated all submitted titles to neighborhood schools (this year, over 240 books, with an estimated value of over $4000). Nearly 250 students reviewed the finalists, and selected the 2008 winner:

"Animals at Play.”

Animals at Play, by Marc Bekoff. Temple University Press, 2008

Review by John Roche, University of Massachusetts Medical School

When you toss a ball of yarn to cat, does the cat ignore the yarn, dismissing it as unimportant, as being unrelated to food, survival, and reproduction? No. Instead, cats generally show great interest in balls of yarn; they pounce and toss and roll and swipe—that is, they play.

Play, so familiar and enjoyed by us human animals, is also extremely common in non-human animals, including cats. In Animals at Play, author and ethologist Marc Bekoff provides children and adults with an in-depth introduction to play in animals. He describes some of the specific play behaviors scientists have observed in a range of animals, including members of the dog family, the cat family, bears, apes, monkeys, marine mammals, and marsupials.

While describing the specifics of play in individual species, Bekoff simultaneously presents more general aspects of play behavior. For example, animals seeking to initiate play with members of their species often have behaviors that “invite” play, and the other individual can then join in or decline to participate. Larger and older animals “hold back” when playing with smaller and younger animals. Animals use very different behaviors when playing then when fighting. Also, if while playing, an animal accidentally harms another individual, the first animal will sometimes display a behavior analogous to apologizing in humans, giving a signal indicating that the harm was not intended. For example, if a playing elephant inadvertently strikes a fellow elephant with its tusk, it may “apologize” by softly touching the other elephant with its trunk.

Observers of play in animals, and readers of this book, will wonder: Is all this play of any benefit to the animals doing the playing? Playing certainly provides opportunities for learning survival-related physical and social skills, and it supplies exercise that strengthens muscles that will be needed to obtain food and avoid predators. It is unknown whether play was selected for by natural selection because it provides these benefits, or because it arises simply because it is fun, and then provides these benefits as a byproduct. But either way, ethologists know that play is widespread among animals.

Animals at Play is an exceptional book. It combines accessible and enjoyable prose and pictures with in-depth and accurate scientific information. As one third grader participating in the review commented, “I loved it because it tells you everything in a fun way.” The book helps readers develop new insights into play behavior in specific, and extends their thinking about the behavior of animals in general. Animals at Play is sure to trigger an informed interest in animal behavior in many young people. As another third grader commented, “This was a great kids book that a lot of kids will enjoy.”

Ookpik: The Travels of a Snowy Owl by Bruce Hiscock. Boyds Mills Press, 2008.

Review by Sue Margulis, Canisius College

I suspect everyone remembers the first time they saw a snowy owl. Ookpik was inspired by such an experience in the life of the author, Bruce Hiscock. The book provides a fictionalized account of the life of a snowy owl, from hatching on the Arctic tundra, to a lengthy journey south in search of food and territory, and back again. The book’s lovely illustrations and compelling story take the reader along with Ookpik on his journey south. From an Inuit village (where the children call him “Ookpik,” the Inuit word for snowy owl), to farmlands and city streets in New York (where birders come to ogle him), readers are drawn in to the life of the snowy owl.

In addition to its descriptive and highly readable account of the behavior of snowy owls, the book also provides an important conservation message through its depiction of the challenge faced by Ookpik as he seeks suitable habitat for hunting, nesting, and resting. The message is clear, but not overpowering, such that the book remains positive and child-friendly. As one third grader said: “Ookpik is very descriptive and it has good pictures. It tells a lot about owls.”

Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator, by Sarah Campbell. Boyds Mills Press, 2008.

Review by Wendy Hein, Oregon State University

What future scientist could pass up a book featuring a creature that is slimy and eats its own kind? In this real-life adventure, we follow a day in the life of the wolfsnail, Euglandina rosea, as it forages in its backyard habitat. It encounters another snail, and we watch nature take its course slowly over multiple full-color, glorious pages. In the end, all that is left is an empty shell…

The book is aimed at young readers, from grades K-2. The text is large, and the story is strictly straightforward. There are only one or two sentences per page, with a glossary for new words like “cannibal” and “mucus” – sure to be a hit at recess. Older readers and the truly infatuated will appreciate the excellent resource section in the back of the book, featuring factoids and web sites for further inquiry. The wolfsnail is well known in ecological circles for decimating Hawaii’s native snail populations, and this famous example of biocontrol-gone-awry is briefly recounted in this section.

What sets this book apart from many other submissions is that it is photographed, not drawn. These are real pictures, expertly composed. There is no exaggerated illustration or fanciful scenery. The slime glistens on bright green leaves, and the iridescent body of the wolfsnail will be a pleasant surprise to those who assumed snails had no aesthetic value. This is one kid’s book that parents won’t mind leaving out on the coffee table.

Wolfsnail is a solid freshman effort from husband-and-wife team Sarah and Richard Campbell. It has already won several awards for Boyds Mills Press (a sister company to the publisher of Highlights magazine), and is a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. Hopefully we can look forward to future installments from this team showcasing nature, beautiful in tooth and claw.

The Puzzle of the Platypus: And Other Explorations of Science in Action, by Jack Myers. Boyds Mills Press, 2008.

Review by Danielle Lee, University of Missouri at St. Louis

                                                                                                                                
It isn’t often that children get a chance to read fun stories about science and scientists.  The scientific process can be hard to explain to students and it often they failed to comprehend how scientists follow their curiosity to solve problems and learn more about animals and nature.  But I suppose it takes a scientist who appreciates the joys and challenge of science discovery to present these tales with wonder and creativity.  Dr. Myers, a biologist   and science writer, served as the science editor Highlights for   
Children Magazine writing numerous science stories for the periodical.  This book is a collection of eleven of his most touching stories of animal behavior and science discovery.  Each story is an account of current animal behavior research from science journals and text books translated into four-to-six page short articles with original illustrations for young readers.  The introductory illustration for each story is a fun summary of the story with colorful accompanying illustrations that detail the work of the scientists.  This book introduces readers to a variety of animals from around the world including hibernating polar bears, enigmatic platypuses, gregarious cliff swallows, clever crows, and deducing dolphins.  For students who are warming to reading, this book offers short, yet engaging stories for active little minds who find it hard to read an entire book in one-sitting.  Youth can revisit the book several times to enjoy the pictures, read the stories, and reflect on the scientific challenges and successes of each tale.                     
Ideal for students in grades 3-6 and great story-time book for younger students