Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for an e-ARC of this title to read and review. I really enjoyed Genius Noses, so Genius Ears was a very fun followup in the same educational and engaging spirit. I found this title to be a lot to read all in one go, but I know some young readers in my life who would absolutely love to pore over every detail on every page and really get to know their favorite animals - so this book definitely encourages that kind of curiosity!

Book Review: Genius Ears: A Curious Animal Compendium by Lena Anlauf & Marshall Yarbrough (translator), Vitali Konstantinov (illustrator)

Rating: 4 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing "Genius Ears: A Curious Animal Compendium" and it was such a delightful read! This book is not just for kids; it’s an adventure for anyone curious about the animal kingdom, especially when it comes to the fascinating world of animal ears.

The book features an illustrated collection that dives into the amazing functions of animal ears from all over the globe. It’s packed with interesting facts that make learning about nature feel like playtime. For instance, did you know that some animals use their ears to confuse predators while escaping? Others can close their ears to protect themselves or regulate their body temperature. The variety of ear shapes and sizes across different species is truly remarkable—each one tells a story about how that animal lives and survives.

What I loved most about Genius Ears is how it combines education with entertainment. The illustrations are stunning, showcasing a soft color palette that makes the whole experience visually pleasing. It's easy to get lost in the pages, whether you're a child or an adult.

This book isn’t just informative; it’s a wonderful journey into the animal world for readers of all ages. If you’re looking for a fun picture book that offers a unique look at animals and their incredible ears, I highly recommend giving this one a read!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I loved GENIUS NOSES and now we have another sense organ to enjoy! Learn more than the ordinary stuff about animals who are noted for their ears whether long, big, tufted, goblin (!?), hidden, or faux.
There is also a glossary, sources/notes, and index. What fun!
Translated from the German by Marshall Yarbrough
The illustrations by Vitali Konstantinov are fun, colorful, and delightful while making it clear what fauna is being shown.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age from 7-107 including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school, doctor's office, or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary digital review copy on Adobe Digital Editions from NorthSouth Books Inc./NorthSouth Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A fun picture book for kids and adults alike to learn more about animals. Genius Ears focuses on many of the different types of animal ears and some of the unique features of those ears. I enjoyed learning more fun facts about animals as I read this book.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Adorable art with lots of interesting animals. Some I hadn't even heard of so it was fun to learn something new.

4 stars

Review to come to blog/other places early September.

I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

This book just looked too adorable to pass! I just love a good non-fiction book and if it is about animals and then a specific subject, this time ears? Sign me up entirely!

In this adorable book we meet around 40 animals (not entirely sure I would count humans, but hey, I guess it kinda fits) from various ear categories. Ear categories, Mehsi? Yes, ear categories! We start with Long-Eared, but we also have Faux-Eared, Tuft-Eared, and a couple of others! I was definitely curious about the Goblin ones, as that sounded so mysterious! 

The format of the book switches between giving one animal two pages, which means one page with a big illustration showing us the critter in the spotlight followed by its name in English and Latin/information about its whereabouts. And on the next page we learn all about that creature with some illustrations dotted here and there. Then there are other parts that give you several animals on two pages with an illustration and some information. I have to say I found that a shame because it was a bit chaotic now. For me it would have worked if there was one format. So either several animals per page or the two pages per animal. 

I love the facts as they were short and compact. The facts range from food to territory to communication to how they act when attacked, to much more! 

I learned quite a few new things, like the Allen's rule (long ears in hot and shorter in cold). I know about hedgehogs, but didn't know there were longer eared ones! So cute! There are even black servals. Did you know that African wild dogs sneeze to vote??? That is adorable! I also loved reading about the faux-eared ones, that was just so fun! 

I liked that there was a glossary at the ending + notes/sources. 

The art was just so much fun and I love the style. It was cute, adorable, and the animals just stood out so much. 

All in all, a really fun book, a bit chaotic, but in overall I had a lot of fun and learned new things. I would recommend it!

For the most part I liked this book, and I think that young readers will have fun reading this as well. So why did I only give this book 4 stars? I had two small issues, one with organization and the other with engagement.
First, though, it was very admirable how accurate all of the drawings were, and how much good information throughout the book. I learned a lot, and I thought that all of the bits of information were interesting. The illustrations perfectly demonstrated and correlated with the facts. Additionally, the author decided to write about lesser-known animals, which is a very smart choice.
As for the organization, I think that the individual animal page spreads could have all been together in the beginning of the book, and then the smaller blurbs of the other animals could have all been at the back. I thought that it was a bit confusing how the small blurbs would sometimes interrupt the full page spreads.
Lastly, I don't think that the engagement level of this book was as high as it could have been. There's a lot of interesting stuff in here! However, I think that there just wasn't enough flair added to the facts to make this book fun to read. It more felt like the author was just spewing off a bunch of facts about ears, for no reason. I think that adding in jokes or more informal/playful language could easily fix this.
Overall, though, I liked reading this book and I even learned some new things about animals' ears!

Genius Ears is an engaging book that children and adults won't want to put down. My five year old loves learning about things, particularly science, so I knew just from the title and cover that he'd love this one. We went out to dinner at a busy restaurant and I was able to pull this ARC up on my phone and it totally saved the day. Even when the food came he wanted to keep reading. I can't blame him either: The illustrations are beautiful and captivating, and help you learn so much. The author did a great job balancing the amount of text; it's just the right amount to help you learn a lot without it being overwhelming. This would be fantastic for any public library, elementary library, science classroom, or even as an entry point for learning about animals, science, protection from predators, etc. I plan to add this to our high school library of picture books for science teachers to use and for students to read to their siblings, kids they're babysitting, etc. Highly recommend!

I am in love with the format and art in this book. It’s ink and colored pencil drawings on water color paper, but the combination of that style, the font, and the use of white space made this so fun to look at. The facts are very interesting and I learned about so many different animals and how their ears help them survive.

2 reasons I wanted to read this: 1. a fun science book about animals and 2. ears. What is not funny and cool and hilarious about ears? And this book delivered. It was so much fun to see the pictures and read about the unique ears of these different animals. There were even fake ears! I think my favorite was the honey badger, which uses its ears for protection in multiple ways. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

My two year old thought the photos in this were so fun! Some of the animals she’s seen before but many were new and a joy to learn about. An older kid would enjoy reading all the facts about each animal. I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a delightful book about amazing animals and their incredible ears! Curious Ears describes animals from around the world and how they use their ears to help them survive. With cute, yet surprisingly informative illustrations, this book shows an incredible array of ears and how animals use them for more than just hearing. Did you know that some animals use their ears to keep themselves cool, while others use them to distract predators? Check this book out and you will likely learn about animals you've never heard of before and learn a few fun fact along the way.

Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for an ARC of "Genuis Ears" by Lena Anlauf, which will be out September 10, 2024!

This is a a beatifully illustrated book about creatures and their ears! I learned so much about different creatures found in various areas of the world. It was very informational and gave some great facts. I love that there was a large variety of different creatures. even humans! It was super helpful to have the glossary in the back as well. This would be perfect for kids who are interested in animals and a great addition for a non-fiction book for classrooms!

A fun, informative children’s book with original, vivid illustrations. It’s amusing and educational like the first one in the series. The only downside would be the small font size. It would surely be more comfortable to read in a paper format so that you don’t have to keep zooming in and out.

Genius Ears is another excellent science book from Lena Anlauf. Suitable for middle grade readers, Genius Ears provides a wonderful educational journey through foreign and domestic animals with oversized ears.

Readers will learn about the various functions, other than hearing, the large ears provide. Even I learned a thing or two. And the book will be a great reference for later years.

With delightful illustrations, Genius Ears is sure to be a STEM favorite for the 8 - 12 year olds. Five stars.

I received a DRC from NorthSouth Books through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

I received an electronic ARC from NorthSouth Books Inc. through NetGalley.
Anlauf offers readers a look at animals all over the world who have larger than average ears. She offers an explanation for each and shows how they use their ears for a variety of reasons. The illustrations present realistic views of each animal. I appreciate the short paragraph style and the language chosen for middle grade level.

This book is really interesting. I think that kids will like pouring over all the different facts and learning about different animals and how their ears help them in the wild.
Fun illustrations too.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was such a fun children's book to read. It is informative, has beautiful illustrations, and is able to hold the readers' attention. This is a nonfiction book that I would definitely share with my grandchildren. Thank you, NorthSouth Books, for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review .

My kids and I had SUCH a fun day reading this book! They begged to read it again and again! We had such a fun time. Highly recommend.