A heartfelt and enlightening look at one of Earth’s most curious creatures.
A marine biologist dives into the wondrous world of octopuses.
A professor of marine biology at Alaska Pacific University, David Scheel has been studying octopuses for more than 25 years, specializing in animal behavior. “Behavior, in particular,” he writes, “reveals values—what is good and what is bad to an octopus—and hints at an animal’s experiences and intentions.” In his first book, the author shares the fruits of his research, as well as that of other marine biologists, to show us much of what has been learned—and remains to be understood—about these fascinating sea creatures. As the author notes, more than 300 different species of octopuses exist, yet their elusive behavior and the changing nature of their appearance make them difficult to locate, identify, and study. Among the questions the author addresses in this page-turning natural history: How has climate change affected octopuses? How can they be protected from overharvesting? What self-defense tools do they deploy? How do they use their senses to interact with their environment? Do octopuses dream? Do they experience emotions? Perhaps most surprising of all, the author has discovered that “despite their solitary reputation, octopuses like closeness.” Though the author’s research has taken him around the world, his primary focus has been Alaska. In addition to an endless supply of interesting factoids about octopuses and their habitats, the author also shares knowledge and stories from Indigenous cultures regarding the lives of octopuses, many of which inspired him to pursue his work further. “Indigenous science seeks not only to understand,” he writes, “but also to respect people and the natural world.” The author’s passion for octopuses, combined with his accessible language and vivid descriptions of his encounters, creates a memorable book that is sure to appeal to fans of underwater adventures and anyone who enjoyed the film My Octopus Teacher. Laurel Scheel’s simple yet elegant illustrations complement the text.
A heartfelt and enlightening look at one of Earth’s most curious creatures.Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9781324020691
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.
The third volume in the Elephant Whisperer series.
In this follow-up to An Elephant in My Kitchen, Malby-Anthony continues her loving portrait of the Thula Thula wildlife reserve, which she co-founded in 1998 with her late husband, South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony, who published the first book in the series, The Elephant Whisperer, in 2009. Following his death in 2012, Malby-Anthony sought to honor his legacy by continuing his vision “to create a massive conservancy in Zululand, incorporating our land and other small farms and community land into one great big game park.” At the same time, the elephants gave her “a sense of purpose and direction.” In the Zulu language, thula means quiet, and though the author consistently seeks to provide that calm to her charges, peace and tranquility are not always easy to come by at Thula Thula. In this installment, Malby-Anthony discusses many of the challenges faced by her and her staff, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. These included an aggressive, 2-ton rhino named Thabo; the profound loss felt by all upon the death of their elephant matriarch, Frankie; difficulty obtaining permits and the related risk of having to relocate or cull some of their animals; the fear of looting and fire due to civil unrest in the region; and the ongoing and potentially deadly struggles with poachers. Throughout, the author also shares many warm, lighthearted moments, demonstrating the deep bond felt among the humans and animals at the reserve and the powerful effects of the kindness of strangers. “We are all working in unity for the greater good, for the betterment of Thula Thula and all our wildlife….We are humbled by the generosity and love, both from our guests and friends, and from strangers all around the world,” writes the author. “People’s open-hearted support kept us alive in the darkest times.”
A heartwarming and inspiring story for animal lovers.Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781250284259
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A quiet memoir of profound change.
Journey to a new way of being.
Searching for relief from depression and his “manic, rushing-around life,” British writer and sheep farmer Rebanks spent four months on an island in Norway’s Vega Archipelago, a remote area he once had visited briefly. Shortly after that first trip, his father died, and so did others in his community whose counsel he often sought. Intensifying his sense of loss, his work as an environmental researcher took him to places where “the world was breaking.” “I began to feel unmoored,” he writes, “like a piece of timber drifting on the current….I was a poor husband, father, brother, and son. I began to lose faith in the certainties that had sustained me. I was growing less sure, and more confused.” In this serene, reflective memoir, Rebanks chronicles his stay on the archipelago, where he lived with Anna Masoy, an aging woman who made her living by collecting eiderdown, the fragile feathers that remain after ducks leave their nests. Sixty nests, he learned, could yield enough feathers to form one duvet. Rebanks worked with Anna and her friend to clear out around 300 old seaweed nests, air nest boxes, build new ones, and collect—and painstakingly clean—feathers. They lived in a house with no running water, an outdoor compost toilet, and a generator that Anna used only for bread baking. Much of the memoir recounts Anna’s stories about her family, the islands’ history, and her determination to forge an “extraordinary form of independence from other people, their values, and their noise.” At the edge of the coastal shelf, on an island 900 miles from Iceland, in a place dictated “by the coming and going of the tides,” Rebanks learned, above all, a new rhythm for the rest of his life.
A quiet memoir of profound change.Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780063434172
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Mariner Books
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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