   | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 09/01/2018 Gr 5–8—In forests in the Central African Republic, a symphony of sounds can be heard all around, but the one scientists are concerned with in this book is that of elephants. Telling the story of Katy Payne's work with elephant sounds and Cornell University's Elephant Listening Project, Newman gets into the technical aspects of studying elephant sounds and how the project quickly went from being an effort to learn more about pachyderms to one that could help their very survival. With gorgeous full-color photographs, well-defined maps, and insight into the latest technology, this book does an excellent job of transporting readers and providing a clear, multifaceted picture of African forest elephants. Several vignettes in the book feature QR codes that link to video recordings of the sounds that are being discussed, from an elephant hello to a goodbye. The work concludes by emphasizing the importance of conservation: "The more you listen to wildlife, the more your mind opens up to new ideas about why the world is a place worth saving." The book also includes a bit about the efforts of children to help elephants. VERDICT A great pick for middle school nonfiction collections.—Molly Dettmann, Norman North High School, OK - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 10/01/2018 In 1984, after a 15-year study that involved listening to sounds made by humpback whales, Katy Payne visited the elephants at the Portland, Oregon, zoo and felt a throbbing in the air akin to the sensation of hearing low pipe organ music. She suspected that the elephants were making sounds too deep for human ears to hear. Her experience led to the establishment, 15 years later, of Cornell University’s Elephant Listening Project in the Central African Republic, where Payne and other scientists have been observing forest elephant families, studying their communication, and working to protect them ever since. Besides providing an overview of the project, along with information about the region’s elephants and how they communicate, the text conveys a sense of urgency about the animals' survival in an era when poaching and forest destruction continue. Among Newman’s cited sources are her interviews with Payne, forest elephant expert Andrea Turkalo, and others active in the project. The many illustrations include color photos of elephants, their habitat, and the researchers. An inviting introduction to biologists at work. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. Loading...
 |