Crow Smarts: Inside the Brain of the World’s Smartest Bird
“Required reading for anyone who believes we are the only, or even the most, sapient species on the planet.”
School Library Journal, starred review
About the Book
It’s no longer an insult to be called ‘bird brained.’ Scientists have discovered that New Caledonian crows deserve a spot alongside dolphins, monkeys, and chimpanzees in the ranks of super-smart animals. Yet even within this elite crowd, New Caledonian crows stand out. These birds not only use tools, but manufacture a whole crow toolkit. And their puzzle-solving abilities invite the question: Is a crow smarter than a second-grader?
Join scientist Dr. Gavin Hunt and his team in New Caledonia as they investigate the mysteries of crow smarts. How do New Caledonian crows learn to use and make tools? Is it possible that crows are improving their tool technology and passing the improvements on to the next generation—an achievement long thought unique to humans? Where is this tool use driving the crow brain, and what can crows teach us about the evolution of intelligence?
Awards and Recognition
- AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books
- Animal Behavior Society Children’s Book Award Finalist
- California Book Award finalist
- CCBC (Cooperative Center for Children’s Books) Choices
- Horn Book Best of the Year
- John Burroughs Association Riverby Award
- Junior Library Guild selection
- Nerdy Book Award
- Nonfiction Detectives Best of the Year
- Horn Book starred review
- School Library Journal starred review
Reviews
School Library Journal starred review
“Required reading for anyone who believes that we are the only, or even the most, sapient species on the planet.”
Horn Book starred review
“Turner’s friendly, sometimes joking tone effortlessly moves from amusing accounts of crow antics to sophisticated explanations of crow and human evolution. Comin’s arresting photographs of the sleek black birds in the island landscapes of New Caledonia highlight their personalities and intelligence.”
Booklist
“With an approachable writing style and photos of crows festooning almost every page, this engaging volume will attract budding scientists, and the lively descriptions not only of the crows but of the scientists at work will give students plenty to ponder.”
photographs by Andy Comins
with art by Guido de Filippo
Scientists in the Field
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, August 2, 2016
ISBN 978–0544416192
bookshop.org
(local booksellers)
