Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel (A Young Reader's Adaptation)

Ages 10 to 14

A middle-grade nonfiction adaptation of the New York Times-bestseller Beyond Words, which weaves decades of field observations about elephants and whales into an intimate look at animal behavior and consciousness.

Weaving decades of field research with exciting new discoveries about the brain, and complete with astonishing photos taken by the author, Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel gives readers an intimate and extraordinary look at what makes these animals different from us, but more importantly, what makes them similar. Namely, their feelings of joy, grief, anger, and love.

These similarities between human and nonhuman consciousness, self-awareness, and empathy allow the reader to reexamine how we interact with animals as well as how we see our own place in the world.

Eye-opening, wise, and engaging, this is the first of two books to explore the mysteries of animal consciousness for young readers.

About the Author

Carl Safina is the recipient of a MacArthur Genius prize and a Guggenheim fellowship, among other accolades. He hosted the PBS series Saving the Ocean and his writings have appeared in The New York Times, Time, and Audubon. He lives on Long Island, New York, with his wife, their dogs, and feathered friends.