Alex the Parrot: No Ordinary Bird: A True Story
“The bigger the brain, the smarter the creature”—or so scientists thought until graduate student Irene Pepperberg bought an African Grey parrot from a pet shop. Named Alex, short for Avian Learning Experiment, the bird would defy all expectations by learning to use more than 100 words; perform rudimentary mathematics; and discern shapes, colors, and more—eventually demonstrating the intellectual capacity of a five-year-old child and forever changing the way we think about animal intelligence. Divided into five chapters, Spinner’s lengthy text uses an accessible, conversational tone to balance the science with the more personal story of Pepperberg’s steadfast determination and the deep animal-human bond that developed between the two. So’s superb multimedia illustrations on white backgrounds inject vibrancy and personality and place the focus squarely on the book’s magnetic subject. A concluding author’s note touches on Spinner’s fascination with animal communication, but it does not offer any details on the author’s research, Pepperberg’s findings or her detractors, or further resources for interested readers—of which there will be many. Grades 2-5. --Kristen McKulski