Have you ever wondered whether animals have emotions, such as happiness and sorrow? Or how they “talk” to each other? Or what it means when two animals play?

I’ve always been curious about those things, and now I’m exploring the mysterious subject of animal behavior for a new series of four books. The books will be How Animals Think, How Animals Feel, How Animals Communicate, and How Animals Play.

The scientific study of animal behavior is called ethology, and it’s a busy field these days. Researchers around the world are making fascinating discoveries about everything from the language of hyenas (they’re not laughing, they’re communicating) to the personality types of trout. Yes, trout!

Science is giving us new insights into the inner lives of the animals that share our world. I’m excited about bringing that information together for young readers in the books I’ll be writing next.