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Elephant Talk: The Surprising Science Of Elephant Communication (2011)

by Ann Downer-Hazell(Favorite Author)

3.81 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0761357661 (ISBN13: 9780761357667)

languge

English

genre

Middle Grade & Children's

publisher

Twenty-First Century Books (CT)

review 1: Fascinating read about the different types of elephants and how they communicate. The book was appealing and easy to read and understand. The photographs and illustrations were eye catching and informative. The book is divided between the different types of communication used by the three species of elephants. Downer also discusses current elephant conservation efforts and the controversies surrounding them. Contains an elephant dictionary, extensive bibliography and websites and suggestions for further reading. Very appealing to middle schools who are searching for readable nonfiction texts that correlate with the CCSS.
review 2: Explores the historical and, especially, new research on elephant communication, including scent, vibration, gesture, etc. I could... more see kids getting inspired to become researchers--either out of love and concern for these amazing animals, or just out of fascination with the science of it. Sidebars introduce some of the people involved, in more depth, including the 1940's telephone engineer who used the cochlea of a dead zoo elephant in his work, or the researcher who used home theater to test how sensitive elephants' feet are to low-frequency sound waves.Of course, the precarious status of elephants in the wild is covered, including how this research is helping lessen human/elephant conflict and the conditions of elephants in captivity. Even that aspect--- "Do elephants belong in zoos?"-- is debated, in a matter of fact way. The author also covers efforts to "green" the traditional Ganesh festivals in India, which typically involve immersing eventually-toxic statues in rivers.Science teachers for grades 6 and up could read sections of this aloud, to introduce units of study on scent, sound, or communication. Or just to show how scientists in the field work. less

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