Beastly Brains

February 6, 2017
Castaldo (The Story of Seeds) presents a thought-provoking look at the minds and perceptions of animals, as well as the way human understanding of the subject has evolved, as she describes a series of studies designed to examine cognition in animals. On “Monkey Island”—off the coast of Puerto Rico—researchers observed how monkeys exhibited humanlike tendencies when a form of “currency” was introduced into their community; dolphins have been shown to recognize themselves in mirrors; and dogs have displayed signs of jealousy in experiments. Castaldo makes the science behind the studies clear, particularly the moral ramifications with regard to human treatment of animals: “The issue is no longer accepting that animals think: it’s now the challenge of figuring out how they think and what we will do with that information.” Ages 12–up. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary.

January 15, 2017
An exploration of animal intelligence.Castaldo opens with a discussion of brainpower before summarizing historical thinking on animal cognition and then presenting evidence of it, in the form of a dizzying array of experiments on such subtopics as decision-making, empathy, a sense of fairness, and communication, among others. Candy-colored pastel shades and striking photographs make flipping the pages a pleasure, but actually reading them is something of a chore. Sidebars often appear out of sequence with the text and are of varying levels of utility, as is also the case with photo captions. Low points include a reference to the author's middle school report on dolphins and a photograph of a dolphin alone in a tank that's labeled, "A dolphin at the National Aquarium is studied by cognitive researchers." Chapters are broken up into subtopics with catchy headings ("The Hive Brain"; "Emo Rats") except when they are not, as with a relatively lengthy discussion of interspecies communication that wanders from bonobos to dolphins to Peter Gabriel to orangutans. The book's sense of its audience is uncertain. Profligate use of exclamation points and simplistic "what would you do" scenarios seem geared to younger readers, while the un-glossed use of such terms as "habeas corpus" and "prosocial," as well as a conceptually complex model of brain processing, assumes a fairly sophisticated audience. The book's high-interest topic is ill-served by its execution. (resources, glossary, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)

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January 1, 2017

Gr 7 Up-Calling all animal lovers! Whether students are working on a report or looking for a browsable title, this volume is just the ticket. Castaldo presents current research on how a variety of creatures, such as dolphins, dogs, elephants, and more, communicate, problem solve, feel, etc. The information is conveyed in an enticing way that is sure to spark the interest of aspiring naturalists and researchers. The extensive back matter elevates this work above other wild kingdom-related compendiums. VERDICT A fascinating take on animal science for tween and teen zoologists.-Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2017
Grades 7-10 *Starred Review* With a menagerie of fascinating examples, Castaldo lays out the history of ideas about animal smarts before covering the myriad ways researchers evaluate intelligence. Each chapter highlights a component of intelligence, such as empathy, fairness, self-awareness, communication, and even planning for the future, many of which will surprise readers when attributed to animals. Moreover, the chapters build on each other; empathy, for instance, plays a major role in developing a sense of fairness, while mental time travel, or the ability to distinguish between the present and the future, is key to solving problems with multiple steps. The main draw of this title, of course, is the illuminating ways the impressive array of animals demonstrates intelligence, from a hive of bumblebees deciding where to build a new nest to capuchin monkeys using money to dolphins recognizing themselves in a mirror. Castaldo's lucid text is complemented by plenty of full-color photos, an extensive list of source notes, citizen science opportunities, websites where students can see many of the animals in action, and a thought-provoking conclusion about conservation. This eye-opening, cogent, and well-structured volume will enlighten students to both the richness of the animal kingdom and the nature of intelligence.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
Castaldo explores the scientific evidence for animal intelligence, emotions, and communication--from early observational studies to contemporary experiments that show the cognitive capabilities of monkeys, dogs, dolphins, and crows. The ethics of animal-human interactions are also considered. The well-chosen photographs include close-ups that capture emotive facial expressions and action shots of behaviors that reveal thought processes. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)