Acting Wild - by Maria Birmingham (Hardcover)

About the Book

A look at the surprising similarities between humans and other animals' behavior

Book Synopsis

How are humans different from other animals? This is a question scientists have long tried to answer. As it turns out, some of the very things researchers once though distinguished humans--our creativity, our problem-solving ability, our capacity for planning or abstract thought--actually make us very similar to other animals! This nonfiction book introduces several different behaviors that humans and other animals share, including farming, teaching, laughing, building, mourning, communicating, grooming, playing, traveling, using tools, and working together.

Narrated by a funny and friendly ant, this book is packed with humor and playful phrasing to bring lightness to the exploration of animal behavior. Brought to life by bright and wacky cartoon-style illustrations, Acting Wild will leave kids with the understanding that acting like an animal is simply in their nature.

Review Quotes

"[The author] presents a large amount of zoological information in a focused, well-organized, and highly entertaining manner."-- "Quill & Quire"

"A fun, well-designed book, [that] sets the tone for understanding our place in the natural world."-- "Canadian Review of Materials"

"Acting Wild is a wonderfully wacky look at how we behave an awful lot like the birds, bugs and beasts that we share the planet with."-- "The Globe and Mail"

"Chock full of interesting ideas, this entertaining and informative selection's distinct focus makes it stand out."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Fascinating, and just what intrigued kids need to do further research."-- "Sal's Fiction Addiction"

About the Author

MARIA BIRMINGHAM is a longstanding contributor to OWL and Chickadee magazines, and the author of several books for young people, including the Lane Anderson Award winner Biometrics and the Norma Fleck Award nominee A Beginner's Guide to Immortality: From Alchemy to Avatars. Maria lives in Brampton, Ontario.

DAVE WHAMOND is the award-winning author of several picture books including the Oddrey series and a regular contributor to OWL and Chickadee magazines. His awards include the Blue Spruce, Silver Birch and Texas 2X2. He also has a syndicated cartoon strip called "Reality Check," which appears daily in a number of North American newspapers. He lives in Calgary, Alberta.