The View from the Oak

The Private Worlds of Other Creatures

Back in print, the classic children’s science book, winner of the National Book Award for children’s literature

“A rare example of how science and philosophy can be fused in a book stretching the minds of readers of all ages. This is a book that matters.” —National Book Award citation

Winner of the National Book Award for children’s literature, The View from the Oak is a groundbreaking work of ethology—the study of the way animals perceive the environment—from two of America’s most respected educators. With this new, illustrated edition, The New Press brings back into print this classic exploration of the strange but marvelous ways in which living creatures experience space, sense time, and communicate with each other.

What do flowers in a meadow look like to a bee? How does the world appear to a snake who “sees’ by detecting minute temperature changes? What is it like to live in the water strider’s two-dimensional universe? Including hands-on games and activities, The View from the Oak helps readers enter into the fascinating, often invisible world of nature. It is a “superb book for families to share” (Winston-Salem Journal).

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