Tasting with your Feet

This is yet another wonderful book by Ned Barraud on the wildlife of New Zealand, only this time he is focusing on the different sensory systems used by animals to make sense of the world around them.

There are individual chapters on each of the five senses and chapter begins with a general explanation of how the sense works. It then goes to explain how different animals use this sense and how it has evolved to become so important to them.

There is also a chapter at the end of the book about sensory systems that are not so familiar – why do cats always land the right way up? Why do we sometimes suffer from sea-sickness?

The book is packed with fascinating facts which are explained clearly and simply while Barraud’s superb colourful illustrations supplement the information and help to avoid overwhelming the reader with specifics.
I highly recommend this book and think it would be a necessary addition to any library.

This book would likely work well being discussed in small groups.