Your Pets' Secret Lives by Eleanor Spicer Rice, illustrated by Rob Wilson

 This is the second book in mit Kids Press' "Your Hidden Life" series. I really enjoyed the first book, Unseen Jungle, and it has checked out 7 times since I added it in 2023, which is very good, especially for a longer nonfiction book!

I think this title will be even more popular, seeing as it deals with the perennially popular topic of animals. It's divided into sections that explore dogs, cats, birds, fish, rodents, and reptiles. Each section includes 5-6 chapters and covers subjects like the memory of goldfish, the instincts of gerbils, predators of tarantulas, dangers of worms for dogs, and the effect of catnip on cats. The sections also include interviews with scientists and pet psychologists, focusing on how kids can better understand and care for their pets.

Colorful cartoons dot the pages and the Rice's brisk prose is casual and humorous, including asides to the readers and jokes as well as lots of interesting information. The book goes beyond the usual "how to care for your pet" and "what your dog's tail wags mean" to discuss the habits of parrots and how they are part of the ecosystem, the devastation caused by releasing exotic pets into the wild, and the mating habits of mice.

Verdict: Interesting, funny, and full of new and unique bits of information, this is sure to be a hit for your animal-loving readers. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781536226478; Published May 2024 by mit Kids Press; Added to library order list