Elephant Bowling and Other Animal Play

Gr 1-5–This nonfiction book is a treasure trove of facts about the different types of play that animals engage in around the world. As with humans, animal play can be purely for fun, but it also prepares young animals for their adult life. Haynes divides animal play into two categories: play with a purpose and play just for fun. Part I is entitled “The Object of the Game,” and explores the types of play behaviors that prepare animals for adulthood. When mongooses play hide-and-seek, they are learning moves to escape from predators. In Part II, “Just for Kicks,” young readers meet animals that are pranksters (Keas, “impish parrots from New Zealand”) as well as surfers (giant saltwater crocodiles in Australia). The illustrations are whimsical, showing the animals with smiling expressions as they play. Some, like the river otters playing with rocks in their game of dexterity, look positively gleeful. Throughout, Haynes uses language and comparisons to the human world, relating the skill of a cactus finch on the Galapagos Islands to the steady hands needed to play the board game Operation. There is a colorful two-page world map indicating the countries where all the animals mentioned live. The end pages contain a glossary, bibliography (books published from 1981 to 2024), article and video links, and an index.