When Elephants Listen With Their Feet

Age range 8 to 12

Explore the wild and wonderful world of animal senses with a dynamic work of children's nonfiction.

Humans experience the world through sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. But what if you had the compound eyes of a fly, the whiskers of a cat, or a whale's ability to sense magnetic north? There's a whole world of surprising senses out there, and fascinating adaptations that have allowed animals to make use of them. We can't interpret the faint vibration of an elephant's faraway stomp, but learning how they keep in touch with family across the wide savannah helps us understand that we are more alike than different.

Featuring accessible text from Emmanuelle Grundmann, inviting art from Clmence Dupont, and informational sidebars, a glossary, an index of animals, and a standard index, When Elephants Listen with their Feet is a lively nonfiction book that encourages curiosity about - and respect for - the animals with which we share our planet.

Praise for When Elephants Listen with Their Feet: Discover Extraordinary Animal Senses

2021 Northern Lights Book Awards Winner – Educational Category

2024 Children’s Book Council “January Hot Off the Press” Feature 

2021 Bound2Learn Nonfiction Hot List selection

“The text is graceful and often humorous, with an extensive vocabulary and fairly complex sentence structure….Sensational sensory stories.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This book highlights the extraordinary ways some creatures’ unique senses are highly developed….Text boxes feature a realistic image and are attractively laid out on the page to provide a clean, uncluttered format….A solid contribution to any elementary study of the senses.”—School Library Journal

“The text is informative, and the images match and complement with simple, yet true to life depictions. Children who love facts and who enjoy the animal world will find this book a pleasure to read.”—CM Magazine

“A seriously awe-inspiring collection of facts about animal senses, When Elephants Listen With Their Feet is a delightful book to explore and learn. Highly recommend for older elementary school aged / middle grade readers who love cool and unusual animal facts.”—YA (and Kids) Books Central

“Exceptionally ‘kid friendly’ in tone, commentary and presentation, When Elephants Listen With Their Feet: Discover Extraordinary Animal Senses is especially recommended for family, elementary school, middle school, and community library Wildlife picture book collections for young readers.”—Midwest Book Review

“Rating: 5…The text is conversational and informative without being didactic – I would say that this French translation is very successful. Charming realistic illustrations complement the text, and I appreciate that most of the humans in the book have non-white skin, which is rare in non fiction.”—Youth Services Book Review

“[The] attractive art and lots of text boxes [will] encourage curious, budding biologists.”—The International Educator

“The tone of the text is conversational, the design well-organized and eye-catching, and the information provided is often quite remarkable….Readers [get] a look at some pretty spectacular ways that animals have adapted to their environment.”—Sal’s Fiction Addiction

"Emmanuelle Grundmann has found a new way to help kids learn lots of new, fascinating facts about a wide variety of critters....It is fascinating and fun. Don’t miss it."—San Francisco Book Review

“WELWTF has an abundance of information for budding scientists to pour over should they want to engage in some animal exploration.”—Mr. Alex’s Bookshelf

“Rating: ★★★★★ I didn’t know most of these fun animal facts before reading this book, so I found it fascinating. I think adults and children will enjoy this beautiful picture book!”—Jill’s Book Blog

When she was little, Emmanuelle Grundmann dreamed about the Amazon, about monkeys, and about flying above the canopy on feathered wings. Since then she has become an author and speaker with a doctorate in ethology (the science of animal behaviour) and conservation. Emmanuelle writes and travels the planet for biodiversity-themed conferences and exhibits, with a particular interest in primates, forests, oceans, amphibians, and kakapos. She also presents children's workshops.

Clmence Dupont graduated from the cole des beaux-arts d'pinal in 2015. She is an author and illustrator who lives and works in Strasbourg, France, and specialises in children's nonfiction. Clmence is passionate about space, polar exploration, and the history of the earth. Her favourite subjects to illustrate are dinosaurs and animals, which she renders using both accuracy and engaging colour.

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