Making Sense: Animal Perception and Communication

by Bruce Brooks

Discusses animals' six senses--seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and feeling--and how they use them to perceive and react to the world around them.

73 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1993

About the author

Bruce Brooks (born September 23, 1950) is an American author of young adult and children's literature. He was born in Washington D.C., but spent most of his time growing up in North Carolina as a result of parents' being divorced. Although divorce is never easy for a child, Brooks credits moving around a lot between the two locations with making him a keen observer of social situations. Switching schools often and having to make new friends evolved his ability to tell good stories. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1980. Before earning a living as a writer, Brooks had worked as a letterpress operator and a journalist for magazines and newspapers. Brooks has reported a very diverse list of influences, like Charles Dickens, Henry James, P.G. Wodehouse and Raymond Chandler. Brooks has three sons: Alex, 23, Spencer, 15, and Drake, 1. He lives with his wife Ginee Seo in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Christian G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book Making Sense it talks about animals, and how they use their senses just like humans do. For example, the five most important senses: seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting. As the author mentions each sense is equally as important. Throughout the book the author gives examples of animals, and how they use those senses. For example, sometimes, there are animals that can’t see very well like snakes, but their feeling senses are amazing. Therefore, their feeling is equal to others seeing. This book also uses a lot scientific thinking, and examples to show how senses work, and in what way they work. Also, a quote that I really liked from the book said that it was okay not to know everything. It says, “should we be discouraged because nature adds up to more than we know? This is what keeps science going: curiosity about the unknown.” In my opinion, this book was awarded Orbis Pictus because this book was very organized in the way that it was structured and designed. Everything flowed and was well explained. The style of it was a little long and wordy, but overall it was good. The pictures were beautiful and gave a good visual. I would use this book in class to teach my students about animals and the different ways they communicate, interact, and live in general. It would be a good way of showing your students that everything and everyone is different and it’s okay to be different.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this one. I can tell its old, and it reads like a textbook. Children's nonfiction is much more engaging these days.