EPIC ANIMAL JOURNEYS

The ins and outs of migration.

Animals move across vast landscapes, through the depths of the ocean, and through the air to get to their destinations. But why? And how? It’s a daunting subject that Brown tackles with aplomb, beginning with a friendly introduction that hints at the scale of migration and asks two crucial questions: “So why do it?” and “How does it work?” The book is organized by air, land, and sea migration, with a final section on “Navigating Change.” The first three sections detail the journeys undertaken by a wide variety of birds, mammals, fish, and other creatures on their quests to survive and perpetuate their species. The layouts are dynamic, with creative, action-packed scenes, and the information is plentiful—readers will learn that half of all birds take part in annual migrations and that salmon’s more than 2,500-km journey is so intense that 95% of them will die after spawning. Like many recent nature books, this one addresses the ways that light pollution, climate change, and habitat loss have forced animals to adapt. Brown makes clear that everything humans do impacts creatures all over the globe and also considers what we still don’t know about migration. Much ground (and water and air) is covered in 72 pages.

Robust insights into the often mind-bogglingly arduous journeys of animals all over the world.