Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation by Patricia Newman is a non fiction book for middle grade, and older, readers. The book tells the story of research and discovery about how elephants communicate, and why that information is important. Scientists hope to understand how forest elephants communicate help scientists find ways to protect them?

Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation is a fascinating and well written book about the work scientists are doing to understand and protect elephants. The studies began with simple curiosity, wondering about a thrumming in the air around elephants, and lead to a greater understanding of their society and communication. The read was interesting and engaging from the very beginning, giving readers a narrative that just might encourage them to do their own research and conservation work. While I think it is definitely best for middle grade and older readers, as there is a lot of information that might be frustrating for younger or less skilled readers, I think the value of the information and the images used to help impart its importance will help interested readers make their way through the book. I like that there are some interactive moments in the book, where readers can scan a QR code, and the inclusion of source materials and resources for further research and reading for those that want more.

Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation is an interesting and informative read, and one that would be a valuable addition to school and public libraries, as well as for personal libraries for interested readers- such as those already deeply invested in animals, science, and conservation.

I am always looking for great science books to recommend to my elementary education students for use in their future classrooms. Eavesdropping on Elephants is definitely one of these books. The connection to women scientists is really nice because it makes the book much more personal for students. They can get drawn into the story not only of the elephants, but also the story of the scientists and how they engage in their work. I also love the connections to sound which would make this book a great choice for physical science as well as life science. This also allows students to see how ideas connect across the disciplines of science.

I've read a lot of children's books about elephants, and this is the first one where I didn't feel talked down to. It's also one of the few books I can find about forest elephants! As an elephant enthusiast it was fascinating to learn about this little known species, and the QR codes/links to example videos of the elephants and their vocalizations really bring the pages to life. Highly, highly recommended!

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

This is a fascinating book about the sounds elephants use to communicate. It's written for kids (late elementary, early middle school) but is surprisingly in-depth. The format is eye-catching, but not overwhelmingly busy. My 9 year old has devoured so many nonfiction titles about elephants that by now, she's basically reading the same information over and over again. But Eavesdropping on Elephants was a totally unique angle, and she learned a lot! She cooed over the full color photographs, and especially loved the QR codes that allowed her to interact with the book.