View from the Oak: The Private Worlds of Other Creatures

by Herbert R. Kohl, Judith Kohl, Roger Bayless (Illustrator)

Back in print, the classic children's science book, winner of the National Book Award for children's literature.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Education, Ecology

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Educator best known for his advocacy of progressive alternative education and as the author of more than thirty books on education. He founded the 1960s Open School movement and is credited with coining the term "open classroom."

Reviews

[Alejandro Teruel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had come across this book when I was somewhere between eleven and seventeen years old -a chronologically impossible event- I would have been enthralled. It speaks to the naturalists at heart and is is certain to picque both the budding scientist and the more imaginative inclined, calmly and quietly developing both a sense of wonder and a sense of empathy. The book includes a handful of references to excellent further readings in natural science and in literature. The depth of feeling, the pedagogical mastery and the quality of the writing comes as no surprise to those familiar with Herbert Kohl´s classic 36 children.

It feels a little dated, in part because science has moved on since 1977, and a little quaint, in part because I feel most children and teenagers nowadays would expect to be wowed by more pictures, colors, inserts, weblinks and videos, and it would probably have been subtitled The public worlds of other creatures ... or so we are led to believe. The Kohl´s book reminds me of a gentler, quieter, more reflective time, with its sensitive, nostalgic and very pertinent black ink drawings by Roger Bayless (this refers to the 1977 edition). It did not enthrall me as much as I had hoped or as much as it would have done so half a century ago, but it did remind me of what it means to have child´s sense of wonder and with what delicacy a great teacher can open up a world in which science and art gently flow together.

[Gabriel Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was eye-opening and quite intellectually engaging. It challenged me to analyze how life can be perceived in various ways. To read this simultaneously with "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" was funny -- both very philosophical. I can definitely imagine pairing this book with Fleischman's "Joyful Noise."

[Cassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew my mind! It will forever change the way I see the world. It's written for children but I found it captivating! (Except for the first chapter. Hang in there- it gets better! 😄)

[Heidi Gioia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book when I was a child and never read it. Picked it up from a stack of books in my house I've dubbed "last chance before donating" and really cherished it. Yes. It's dated, but that's the beauty. It invites the reader to slow down and imagine the world from an aminal's perspective, full of curiosity and wonder while being being grounded in scientific observation. It will remain on my bookshelf.

[Laurenm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me by an older brother shortly after publication. I’ve carried it around for 40 years and finally took the opportunity to read it. This book challenges the young naturalist to look at the world from the one dimensional perspective of a water strider. To slow down and take the time to watch the vibrations on a spider’s web. To swim underwater and listen to the call of a Dolphin’s mate a hundred miles away. The view from the oak depends on the “umwelt” of each animal. The fox who lives in the roots may not be aware of the owl in the branches. This book gives the reader a fresh appreciation of the animal world.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This engrossing book tells how creatures from spiders to whales sense space and time, and communicate; written with a sense of humor.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read about nature.

[Mary Havens · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoned on page 9. This book was published in 1977 so it's a bit dated with the illustrations. The concept is good with the focus on the point of view of insects but I've read many children's books on a variety of animals. You can definitely see this book as a forerunner for modern children's nonfiction but I'm not going to spend time on this particular book. I only added it because it won the National Book Award so perhaps I need to look closely at that list :)