My kittens come running to the sound of their Kibble shaking around in a tin and they’ve recently learned how to open the screen door when they want to go in and out. Are they really smart or is it just coincidence? If you’ve also wondered about how clever your pets or other animals are, then Sylvia Funston’s newest release, Animal Smarts, is for you. Owl Books has launched its new series, The Secret Life of Animals, with this fascinating look at the way animals think, learn, and behave. Sylvia Funston, an award-winning author and former editor-in-chief of Owl and Chickadee magazines, takes scientific research and up-to-date discoveries about animal behaviour and turns them into an entertaining and intriguing book that will delight animal lovers of all ages.

The book is divided into three sections: Who’s Smart suggests that animals who live in groups, have complex food requirements, and are naturally curious tend to be the smartest, although there are always exceptions; Look Who’s Thinking compares human brains to those of other animals and looks at how some creatures are able to make and use tools in their daily lives; and Look Who’s Talking deals with communication and the ability of animals to learn human language through symbols, sign language, and the spoken word. Readers are introduced to a variety of animals that are being studied by scientists, such as Kanzi the pygmy chimpanzee and Alex the African grey parrot. Real experiments are described and their astonishing results will leave you shaking your head in amazement. In fact, although Funston answers many questions about the abilities of animals, she also leaves us with many more unanswered questions and makes it quite clear that scientists are still grappling with how to interpret most animal behaviour. Is it instinct, learned behaviour, or can some animals actually figure things out?

The book is full of excellent photographs of animals in action and is supplemented with illustrations from Pat Stevens. The attractive layout adds appeal and the use of small, detailed bites of text for photo captions makes it an easy read. Animal Smarts is a good introduction to the complicated world of animal behaviour and is recommended for anyone who has wondered why animals do the things they do.