Talk, Talk, Squawk! A Human’s Guide to Animal Communication

With their trademark inquisitive wit, Davies and Layton turn to animal communication in this companion to Just the Right Size; What’s Eating You?; and other irreverent guides to the animal kingdom. While much of the material is tongue-in-cheek (baboons exchange shouts of “Wassup, cuz!” and “Hi, bro!”) Davies includes plenty of factual information. Readers will learn how animals use smell, sound, electricity, and even dramatic performance to communicate—for example, a male stinkbug taps on a leaf to create vibrations that notify a female of his presence. Animal lovers should relish the surprising insights into languages we’re just beginning to understand. Ages 8–up. (Nov.)