How do some young animals know what to do and how to do it? Does someone teach a caterpillar what to eat? Who gives a baby shark swimming lessons? Sometimes young animals learn things from their parents, but other times… they just know! Explore animal instincts through engaging text and fanciful illustrations.
Written by Robin Yardi Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein
32 pg, 8.5 x 10, Ages 4-8, Grades K-3 Lexile: 870, AR: 3.70, F&P: O
Keywords: animal life cycles, instinct versus learned behaviors, instinct, learned behavior, metamorphosis, life cycle
Animals in the book: black swallowtails, horn sharks, king snakes, ladybugs, loggerhead sea turtles, and spring peepers
Vetters: Thanks to Dr. Carrie Kappel, conservation biologist and former youth educator at the Teton Science Schools, for reviewing the accuracy of the information in this book.
The dichotomy between the anthropomorphized scenes and the realistic ones artfully highlights the divide between the animal world and the human one. - Kirkus Reviews
Each double-page spread highlights one of Mother Nature's wonders and offers several facts and a bit of witty wordplay, too...Though the words for this book are strong, the illustrations dominate readers' attention. Laurie Allen Klein of St. Augustine created them. - Florida Times Union
This book was very interesting because I never thought about the fact that animals do not have parents or teachers helping them or teaching them, like us kids - Kids Book Buzz
Robin Yardi approaches life with great wonder, a stack of field guides, and picture books nearby. She’s a credentialed elementary school teacher who loves reading to her students and watching the wildlife that pass through her garden, but it was Robin’s daughter that inspired her debut picture book They Just Know. Robin lives in Santa Barbara, California with one lovely husband, two muddy kids, a Sulcata Tortoise, eight chickens, and innumerable koi fish. Visit her website at robinyardi.com.