Wednesday, July 12, 2017

A Dog in the Cave: The Wolves who Made us Human by Kay Frydenborn –OPTIONAL

Frydenborn, Kay A Dog in the Cave: The Wolves who Made us Human 246 pgs. HMH, 2017. $16.99 Content: Language: G (0 swears) Mature Content: G; Violence: G NON-FICTION
This non-fiction book discusses the theories of how wild wolves evolved into domesticated dogs, when, where, and how. It then introduces the concept that Dog and Humans co-evolved, each directly influencing the evolution of the other. There are many examples and a plethora of studies cited. The last chapters deal with the intelligence of dogs and how they put their skills to work. Includes interrupting chapters on various concepts like the scientific method and how MRI give us new insights into the dog brain. Lots of color photographs and examples of real dogs.
As a dog person, I found this book fascinating. I may be selling high school students short, but this book was very heavy. Although there were asides and short extras that delve into some of the terminology and science, overall it features high level writing. The vocabulary, concepts, and even sentence structure felt geared towards educated adults, or at least college students. I feel that it may be a challenge to many high school readers, though would be a perfect companion to a class on genetics and evolution, as the topic is relatable and interesting.

HS –OPTIONAL, ADULT -ADVISABLE Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.

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