Wild Talk: How Animals Talk to Each Other

Jo-Anne Mary Benson’s quarterly column in Ottawa Parent magazine
focuses on books for children and parents.

This informative addition to the Amazing Things Animals Do series looks
at the fascinating ways in which animals communicate. The book briefly
profiles 12 very different species. Readers will learn that body
language is very important in the world of wolves; that the smelly musk
odor left on a tree marks a lemur’s territory; that loud growls by
monkeys may signal approaching danger; and that the flaming-red throat
pouch of the great frigate bird signifies that he is looking for a mate.


Complementing the text is a detailed two-page color illustration that
portrays the animals in their natural setting. Also included is a small
inset photograph that reappears later in a “Who’s Who”
dictionary-type reference and a quiz that challenges children to match a
clue with the appropriate animal.

Wild Talk is suitable for all elementary-school children. The language
is simple enough that older children can read the book independently,
while younger children can learn by having it read to them. Recommended.