How to Chat Chicken

This fun, colourfully illustrated non-fiction book explores the ways in which different creatures communicate with one another. The introduction explains why animals communicate, for example, to ask for food, defend their territory or find a mate, as well as how they achieve this, through various sounds and gestures. Each chapter focuses on a different selection of creatures, from domestic pets to wild animals, and there’s even a section on how baby animals learn to talk. From the “huu hu huu” of a curious chimpanzee to the “wow-wow” of a sad giant panda, children won’t be able to resist reading aloud the noises which appear in speech bubbles on every page.

Vibrant artwork brings the book to life, superbly capturing the eccentricities of an assortment of insects, birds, reptiles and mammals. A contents page and index help readers to navigate directly to specific creatures of interest, while a comprehensive glossary explains any unfamiliar terminology. At the end is a section about how and why zoologists study animal behaviour, including their quest to answer bigger questions, such as how human noise pollution may affect animal communication. A joyful reference book which will delight, entertain and inform in equal measure.