Several years ago, on a casual clear-my-head walk around my neighborhood, I noticed a crow watching me. I paused. I looked more closely. Something in her shiny black eye revealed an intelligence I had never really noticed before. I wondered if she knew a lot more about me than I knew about her. What could I learn from her? And how many times had I passed by wildlife in my neighborhood, on trails and by lakeshores, and not really paid attention?
An idea was born. What if we viewed animals as our teachers instead of objects or simply extras in the movie-set backdrop of our lives? I started to observe my surroundings more closely. Over many months, I interviewed more than 50 biologists, researchers, educators, and advocates about the superpowers of animals and what we can learn from them for our own lives. I cased research papers and firsthand accounts about cultural relationships to wildlife across the planet.
The result, The Hidden Wisdom of Animals, arrives in the world today, October 21. In this nonfiction book for all ages, but especially children, I homed in on 44 animals from across the globe (as well as our own backyards) that can show us how to live more beautifully.
In these condensed excerpts, tap into that youthful, open-minded part of yourself—the part that knows it still has a lot to learn. These species can inspire us and the young people around us to reflect and remember the strengths that live within us too.
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