A few months ago, Sue featured The Secret of the Scuba Diving Spider … and more! by Ana Maria Rodriguez. It looked like a great middle grade science book and today we are happy to share another in the series, The Secret of the Bird’s Smart Brain…And More! by Ana Maria Rodriguez.
Using a fun format where each chapter reveals a surprise about a different group of animals, the author has found five science stories which often turn conventional wisdom upside down. In the first chapter, the term “bird brain” has a whole new meaning when scientists find that small size has nothing to do with power. In the following chapters readers discover whether birds have a sense of smell, how and why mama bears act during different seasons, and how pig grunts and alligator bellows may have more to say more than we originally thought. The last chapter ends with a hands-on activity for kids to try.
Although it is the animals that draw young readers in (the kunekune pigs are adorable!), the true stars of each chapter are the scientists who are discovering their secrets. The book shows details of how each group of scientists studies the problems, from counting brain cells to recording pig grunts.
The Secret of the Bird’s Smart Brain…And More! is the next best thing to taking a field trip with a biologist. Check out a copy today.
And, be sure to stop by Growing with Science to learn more about those cute kunekune pigs.
STEM Friday 