School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-This title takes readers to New Caledonia, where, as Turner puts it, "the forests are lush and the crows are geniuses." Comins's photos supply ample evidence of both. Under the guidance of crow researcher Gavin Hunt, expeditions to the island's wilds provide opportunities to watch the local species of crow display the astonishing ability not only to use found sticks to dig grubs from logs but also to make their own hooked tools from twigs or the jagged leaves of the pandanus-and to train a juvenile crow in the technique. Then later, under controlled conditions in a lab, captive crows (which are carefully returned to their home territories afterward) beat out groups of four- to seven-year-old children in performing feats of mental activity to get at an inaccessible treat. The author also surveys tool use by other wild animals, from chimps to crocodiles, and, with added art by de Filippo, compares the structures of crow and human brains. She closes with more anecdotes about corvid intelligence and leads to further information. VERDICT Required reading for anyone who believes that we are the only, or even the most, sapient species on the planet. Highly recommended for STEM and animal collections.-John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York City © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In this volume in the Scientists in the Field series, readers wing it to New Caledonia, a French island in the Pacific, which is home to a species of remarkably brilliant crows. All crows are clever, but New Caledonian crows are corvid valedictorians: they can make tools. Turner follows a team of scientists on the island that observes the crows both in the wild and in the lab, tracking the birds' social behaviors and problem-solving skills. Though Turner's personalization of the crows is sometimes distracting, her thorough accounts of the birds' actions is illuminating: their ability to perform complex tasks, such as using a tool to retrieve a different tool, becomes even more amazing once she puts it in context, comparing crows with other creatures having noteworthy intelligence. With an approachable writing style and photos of crows festooning almost every page, this engaging volume will attract budding scientists, and the lively descriptions not only of the crows but of the scientists at work will give students plenty to ponder.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2016 Booklist
