How Do Meerkats Order Pizza?: Wild Facts about Animals and the Scientists Who Study Them

by Brooke Barker

In this “pleasing and informative” ( Kirkus Reviews ) illustrated nonfiction book for middle grade readers, Brooke Barker of Sad Animal Facts introduces readers to incredible animals and the bizarre things human scientists do to understand them.

Did you know that crows never forget a face? Or that jaguars have a favorite cologne? Have you ever wondered how to pet a yeti crab? Or whether dogs can tell if you’re smiling? And just what is a burrowing bettong?

Meet these weird, wonderful animals and the equally weird and wonderful scientists who study them. From crafting fake poop to slurping up bugs with a straw, there’s nothing these amazing humans won’t do to help us learn more about the animals around us. Packed with fascinating facts, this hilarious book from the bestselling creator of Sad Animal Facts reveals secrets like why roosters crow and how meerkats make decisions as a group—and how humans can better understand the wild creatures we share the planet with.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Middle Grade, Science, Graphic Novels, Childrens, Humor

200 pages, Hardcover

Published November 22, 2022

About the author

Brooke Barker is a writer, illustrator and animal enthusiast living in Portland, Oregon. She’s the creator of Sad Animal Facts and the co-creator of the It’s Different Every Day calendar, and a former copywriter at Wieden+Kennedy. She has a dog who can never eat chocolate and three guppies who can't take naps because they don't have eyelids.

Reviews

[Katie]

Grqphic heavy, full of little details about a bunch of different researchers who study animals around the world. Could really do with an index or a table of contents or page numbers, but would make for a cool skim for a kid who likes animals and wants to work with them for a living. Fun fact: randomly picked this up and I know one of the researchers. #publiclibraryfind

[Emma Kagan]

A beautifully illustrated, funny and approachable book to get students (grades 2-5) thinking about scientific research. This book did a great job highlighting diverse scientists (not just old white men!). I would love to use this book as part of a research unit curriculum in the library.

[Rachel McMahon]

This book is so fun to read. The humor, the illustrations, and the facts make it very kid centered and approachable. I learned many new things. I like this format - there are nonfiction text features but they aren’t overwhelming and the shorter chapters about each animal makes it approachable for a wide variety of readers.

[Erin Buhr]

Nonfiction graphic novel for middle grade. It’s equally fun and informational. A great book for kids who love learning unique things about animals and chuckling as they go.

[la]

好可爱的一本书！每次看到这种科普动物植物的书或者纪录片都觉得这个世界也不全是冰冷的人类嘛！虽然科普的那些知识以美洲豹每小时80km的速度从我光滑的脑子里溜过，但美洲豹也要排泄是不是，乌鸦能记人脸的知识以美洲豹的粑粑形式留在我的大脑沟壑里了，我每次站在阳台上拍天空的时候，飞过的乌鸦会不会在想这个人总是举个方块在干啥啊？

[Sophie Crane]

A non fiction middle grade illustrated book or graphic novel about animals and the scientists that study them.

I loved everything about this middle grade non fiction graphic novel. From the illustrations to the facts and the humour.

I’m not all that good at reviewing non fiction books so here we go…

This is a middle grade non fiction graphic novel/ illustrated book that would be perfect for any animal loving fact finding person.

It starts with a picture of a scientist who studies an animal of some kind and then delves into some unusual facts about the animal that they’ve discovered for a few pages, each being a short chapter. This makes it perfect to dip in and out of or like me you could just read it in one sitting cover to cover.
I love the loose - non panelled style (GN are usually done in panels from my experience of reading them) that almost makes it look like someone has drawn a picture of the animal and then wrote notes about them around those illustrations like you would do in school/college/university

How Do Meerkats Order Pizza? would be a perfect educational book for any 9-12+ year olds without feeling like an educational book.
I’m definitely not the targeted aged for this book but that didn’t mean that I didn’t like it any less

[Kathy Cowie]

I defend this middle grade choice—as a full-fledged adult—because Ann Patchett made me do it!!! She talked about it on one of her Laydown Diaries, and, when I couldn't find a kid to buy it for, I bought it for myself. Totally worth it. The book is thoughtfully told and charmingly informative. The illustrations are terrific, and most of the animals talk back—and honestly, I cannot resist a snarky meerkat. A bonus, the book is beautifully printed and has some real weight to it, which makes me want to leave it out on my coffee table. A conversation starter. Sorry in advance to all the friends and family I plan to bore with my new knowledge.

[Orly]

Is this meant to be a children's book? Yes. Is it still utterly delightful? Absolutely. Ann Patchett recommended it in the WSJ feature about best books people had read in the past year, and I'm so happy that she did.

In addition to the fun animal facts, this book also includes such a wonderful underlying message that the world of science is open and anyone can pursue it. It features scientists from many different backgrounds, highlights what their favorite animals were growing up. Some are working their dream jobs, while others pivoted along the way.

[Emmy]

A charming, chill, and really informative book about animals and the people who love to study them. I loved how each chapter taught the reader all about a certain type of animal, whether it was a bonobo, a mussel, or a rooster, and then talked about a particular biologist who had made it their goal to study and learn as much as they could about that creature.

If you want to encourage children to go into the sciences, this is a great way to do it!

As an added bonus, the illustrations were incredibly fun, making it even more of a delightful, charming read.

[Raven Black]

Fantastic facts about some animals we might not usually see in a book, with fun information about the scientists that study them, too. The only drawbacks are also pluses. The humor allows for multiple levels of readers to partake, but it can be a bit make you "step out" and not take things as serious. And this humor is also in the artwork, making the cartoon images unreal to a point. But they are also bonuses for reluctant readers and to not make things overly stuffy. Overall, a good book that I highly recommend for the classroom or the child who loves animals but knows the traditional ones.

[Jeannine Flanigan]

My 12 year-old and I have a routine where I read to him for a little while in the morning before he leaves for school. He loves animals, and we were looking for a book that we would both enjoy. How Do Meerkats Order Pizza was perfect. (I wish I’d known that Ann Patchett - one of my favourite authors - had recommended it!)

Can anyone recommend a similar book for us to read next??

My only (very small) criticisms of this book are the lack of page numbers, and that not all the measurements were metric (which made it harder for us to grasp the sizes of various things that were described).

[Karen]

Brief descriptions of some of the scientists who study meerkats, mussels, jaguars, and the ocean. Kids will love some of the tricks of the trade scientists use to test their hypothesis, like using fake poop to determine if primates are grossed out by poop and face masks to learn if crows can recognize human faces.

[Arminzerella]

Short chapters describe the research of scientists currently studying various animals (meerkats, jaguars, deer, endangered marsupials, roosters, whales, and more!) - with commentary from the animals (plus a horse, who wanders into things by accident). Fun facts and humor abound! For budding animal researchers.

[Paulina ෂ]

[4,5]

Qué bonito libro. Tanto el arte siendo demasiado lindo, la comedia entre dato y dato, y por supuesto, mucho material para los info- dumping-lovers como yo.

Siento que es ideal no sólo para niños, ya que yo también tuve un muy buen momento al leerlo, aunque sí me dan ganas de leerlo con más peques para despertar su amor e interés por los animales.

[Elizabeth]

I like the unique angle of this book which teaches about the scientists who study the animals as much as the cool animal facts. The cartoons were hilarious and cute. It felt a little too random/scattered at times for me, but I think many of my students will enjoy skimming this and learn some things along the way!

[Jason]

The clever humor and silly drawings keep pulling the reader back in, despite some honestly dense information. I also love that Barker focuses on the accomplishments of women and people of color. But she doesn't leave out white men, so don't worry!

[Sandra de Helen]

This is a book for young people (grades 3-7) and it's a good resource for facts about wild animals and the scientists who study them. I enjoyed it not only for the facts, but for the author's sense of humor. In fact, that's why I read it. I recommend it for everyone who cares about animals.

[Livia]

I realize this book is for kids. However I loved this and want a longer version with more science details (it ended way too fast). Cute pictures, and cute facts. Makes me want to study animals. I recommend this for everyone who needs a short little light read.

[Kristen]

What a fun non-fiction book that delves into real scientists and the animals they study, but done in a really funny and engaging way.

[Lynn Baker]

Enjoyed these stories about researchers. I will get this one for my great nephew.

[Laura]

Cute illustrations but each section felt very incomplete. Fun to recognize people I follow on science twitter tho.

[Carrie]

I love the tone of this book, but wish the artwork was more polished.

[Aurora]

A very cute book aimed at younger kids interested in zoology.

[Deb Shambrook]

Fun read.

[Great Books]

With cute graphics and packed with information about animals and the scientists who study them, this fun book will appeal to all ages.

#21

[Kelly]

Very informative and fun.

[Sharon Buxton]

A. nonfiction, children's nonfiction, upper elementary; learning about various animals through scientists' studies; Charity is friends with/attended ONU with one featured scientist (Solomon David)

[Chuck Beilstein]

Celebrates scientists, while delivering lots of facts and plenty of humor, cartoon characters...

[Matt Jaeger]

Perfect book for young, science-minded readers.

[Paula Billiter]

An excellent nonfiction KBA selection about scientists who study various creatures around the world. It explains their methods for data collection and findings a humorous cartoonish style.