Animal Senses: How Animals See, Hear, Taste, Smell and Feel (Animal Behavior)
Grade 2-5AHickman looks at each of the senses as experienced by a variety of animals, compares them to corresponding human traits, and focuses on one or two interesting environmental adaptations or defense mechanisms. For example, the section on sight examines different types of animal eyes, and then devotes almost a page to frogs and the placement of their eyes on top of their heads. A final chapter looks at "extra" senses humans don't have, such as the rattlesnake's heat-sensing ability. Much of this material can be found in other sources, but this book also includes demonstrations designed to foster a better understanding of the ways animals use their senses. One involves filling a bucket with sand and burying pieces of fruit and other objects in it. Feeling for the food objects and differentiating among them approximates the experience of a walrus using its whiskers on a muddy ocean bottom. The large (often full-page), full-color drawings and neatly boxed text make the book both attractive and easy to read. The information will not be sufficient for a long report, but it is a good introductory or supplementary source. The experiments could also be used as science projects or classroom activities. This title will also be fascinating to browsers, who can pick up all sorts of factual tidbits.AArwen Marshall, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.