| Title | : | Dogs: From Predator to Protector |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1626727678 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781626727670 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 128 |
| Publication | : | First published October 31, 2017 |
Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic--dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty year old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!
Dogs: From Predator to Protector Reviews
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In this volume we follow an adorable Cocker Jack named Rudy on a exciting trip to the dog park. There he introduces us to to his friends and works through key scientific principles from Gregory Mendel, Charles Darwin, and Dmitir Belyaev to explain dog taxonomy, origin, genetic makeup, and much more!
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I do like this series.
I learned so much from this, despite the fact that I've read one of the books they list for further reading,
The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter than You Think.
I like that the introduction makes it clear how important it is to use science to gain a better understanding of dogs, rather than relying just on love to try to provide them with 'healthy, happy lives.' It's amazing how much we thought we understood turns out to be incomplete, and sometimes even completely wrong.
I like the explanation of genetics, evolution, and DNA. Well done. I almost understand chromosomes & Punnet squares now. I particularly appreciate learning that dominant and recessive aren't clear-cut, but that there are things like homozygous recessive genes, etc. etc. So wonderful that kids now can learn so much more than I could possibly have done. And the evolution of whales from Pakicetus is fascinating.
"Hairless dogs like the Xoloitzcuintli became hot-bodied pain relievers" illustrates a desert dwelling granny with that breed under her arthritic hands.
I have lots more bookdarts, but I'll stop there and just encourage you to read the book yourself. :) -
Besides the Dinosaur book, I also read the book as well. Again, this won't be the last of these I get. I'm in love with them. For a kid comic book about science, they are pack with information for adult readers as well. Plus, the art in this one particular is super cute. Kind of makes me want a dog. While this one has some ways to care for your dog, this is more about evolution and DNA. Parts of this book felt a little over my head, but like the Dinosaur book, I learned a lot too. Didn't realize how powerful a dogs sense of small was. Did you know they can tell a set of twins apart or that they can detect things like cancer and diabetes? That's pretty impressive.
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I was expecting this to be more friendly for my younger students, but now I’m not sure if I would suggest it to anyone under fourth grade. Lots of great information about the history of dogs, but also tons of scientific information that will be beyond many of my early readers. Would love to hand this one to adults who claim graphic novels don’t have enough substance!
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Great nonfiction graphic! It had a ton of information, and if you love dogs, it's a fun and interesting read. Genetics, evolution of breeds, and why things happen. Fantastic stuff and adorable illustrations!
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http://comicsalternative.com/comics-a... -
Cute comic explaining the evolution of dogs! I learned a lot about my own fur baby and his behavior.
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I LOVED this book because it was very Very VERY informative. It had TONS of information in it. It was about the evolution of dogs. In this book a dog explained how inheritance worked. He gave examples with his family. He also went back in time. And the whole time he was chasing his ball.
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This is not just a graphic novel. Science comics are full of interesting information, detailed illustrations, use of topic and more. This particular one teaches about genetics, adaptations, breeding and evolution particularly with dogs.
In this book we meet Rudy, a pet dog who visits the local dog park. Once there, he tries to play with his yellow ball. This ends up taking the reader through a history of canis lupus to canis familiaris. We meet several different breeds of dogs and how they came to be using genetics, evolution and adaptations. There is a lot of scientific detail within these pages. There is a lot of scientific vocabulary that is explained in the story as well as in the extensive glossary at the end of the book. This book is geared to older children, I would suggest 10 and up. It is a fun way to describe the process of evolution using dogs. The graphics are fun as well as informative.
This would be a great book to use when teaching about genetics, evolution, adaptations, natural selection, and breading. It should be in all libraries, school and public. It is a great resource to teach these topics in a fun way. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. -
Dog-lovers will enjoy this romp through a detailed scientific look at many facts and facets about dogs. In graphic novel format, one dog takes the reader along to explore whether or not dogs are descended from wolves, differences between breeds, and much more. The level of scientific detail regarding genes is thorough and accurate (as far as I could tell, although college biology was a long time ago). Because of the depth of science, this is not a book to browse; it must be read thoughtfully - or some readers may skim through the parts they do not understand and just try to figure out where the guide dog's ball went. A great scaffold or support for students learning about genetics and how evolution shapes species. May have limited appeal due to technicality of writing, although it is made as accessible as possible.
Grades 4 and up -
This series is always awesome. And this particular one could be considered kid's best friend.
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Too much science needs more dogs
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https://openbooksociety.com/article/s...
Science Comics: Dogs: from Predator to Protector
By Andy Hirsch
ISBN: 9781626727670
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra
Summary
How well do you know our favorite furry companion? Did they really descend from wolves? What’s the difference between a Chihuahua and a Saint Bernard? And just how smart are they? Join one friendly mutt on a journey to discover the secret origin of dogs, how genetics and evolution shape species, and where in the world his favorite ball bounced off to.
Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic–dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you’re a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you! (Goodreads)
Review
I am always delighted to read a Science Comics book – I learn SO much while reading these comic books ☺. This title – Science Comics: Dogs: From Predator to Protector is well written and illustrated to catch the reader’s attention. The preface at the beginning of the book laid out all that the book would try to cover, which I found very informative.
This gem of a graphic novel imparts SO many pieces of interesting facts (some of which I did not even know). For example:
“Dogs are the most physically diverse species on the planet.”
“Dogs have 39 pairs of chromosomes, each with different information.”
Rudy takes the reader through a journey from 25,000 years ago to the present in demonstrating the evolution of dogs. The journey was well explained (as well as illustrated). Along the way the reader(s) is imparted with information about genetics, evolution, adaptations, natural selection, and breading – all in a very fun way. And in the end of Rudy’s journey, he once again returns to his owner for another ball toss.
The illustrations are just fantastic. I really, really loved them as did my younger reader ☺ The use of vibrant color throughout was great.
By far in my opinion (and with the limited number of Science Comic books that I have read – four as of now), this is the Science Comic book I found the most engaging for both young (though for those younger than 10 years old, more explanations may be necessary) and not-so-young alike, wonderfully illustrated and filled with so much information detailed in such a way as to keep my interest and that of my young one engaged throughout the whole book. I see this book as one that can be read over and over again as the young reader matures and has more advanced learning needs.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review* -
Dogs are known as man’s best friend. A dog named Rudy is here to explain how and why that is.
Everyone loves dogs. Most people have known or grown up with dogs. But what do we really know about the animal we call “man’s best friend?” Science Comics has come up with the answer to that, by introducing a dog named Rudy who loves his person, chasing balls, and who can also travel through time.
Rudy greets the reader after arriving at the park. He starts out by explaining the relationship of dogs to wolves through taxonomy, the practice of naming and classification. The discovery of a ball sends him off on his journey through time, as he chases it back to 25,000 BP, to the dawn of dog history. From here, he follows the ball, going through the history of genetics and how genes are inherited. This moves into evolution and natural selection, and how the trait to be less scared of humans changed wolves’ temperament and appearance to become dogs. Through this domestication, dogs became the useful and faithful companions we see today.
The story starts out spending a lot of time on the science of genetics, going into detail starting with Mendel’s experiments with sweet peas, explaining genetic inheritance, and using punnet squares to show dominance. Rudy does his best to keep it interesting, but it is a lot of information, and it takes awhile to get through it as well as explaining the domestication process before it gets back to looking at dogs specifically.
Once it does, the story picks up, going over how different and extensive a dog’s senses are and why they sniff backsides. It also looks at dogs’ intelligence and how their basic predatory instinct was used by humans to turn them into herders and hunters. It then starts talking about breeds, coming back around to genes and artificial selection, and how breeds can have personality traits, but how a dog is raised has a bigger effect on their personality. It ends with looking at the way a dog communicates both with humans and other dogs.
Science Comics: Dogs: From Predator to Protector is a fun and entertaining look at these animals. It goes in depth into the science to explain how dogs came to be our companions, and that it’s more predisposed than learned. Older elementary and middle school students will find the science more interesting than younger readers, but readers of all ages will appreciate the information about dogs themselves. And Rudy does get his ball back. -
Rudy (a dog), is the narrator of this volume in the Science Comics series. He tells us that he is a "canardly" - you can 'ardly tell what breed. While at the local dog park, Rudy chases his favorite ball into the past. He explains to readers how dogs evolved from wild predators to tame companions and protectors (and also looks for his lost ball). His explanation covers topics like Linnaeus, Mendel, Darwin, Punnett squares, DNA, nature and nurture, the gene pool, and pretty much anything else that affects the adaptation of a species over time. Rudy gives examples of how a dog's senses work; the difference in what colors they can see compared to human eyesight, the way they can detect odors that are only 1 or 2 parts per trillion, or how far their hearing range extends. Breeds, dog shows, pedigrees, vocal communication and body language are all a part of Rudy's explanations. One fun fact he shares is that dogs and humans are two species that both continue to play even after they reach adult age.
This series follows in the tradition of the Magic School Bus and the Max Axiom books by sharing science concepts through a graphic format. In this case, the comic style illustrations display the different time periods Rudy visits as he traces the evolution of dogs, and readers can also see his determination to retrieve his ball. There are plenty of facts, and also helpful features such as a glossary, a list of books for further reading. One last appearance by Rudy is similar to the bonus scenes that show up during a movie's end credits. He urges readers to consider pet adoption and find a companion to take into their home. This book is an excellent introduction to the history of domesticated dogs, and offers enough basic facts to give readers a good place to start researching the topic more deeply on their own.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley. -
Just so you know, this review was not written by the human who normally posts stuff here. This review was written by her dog.
Some of you may have enjoyed my previous review of _The Dog Master_, which made my tail wag. That’s right, humans, I’m back. I figured out the code to unlock the iPad and it has changed my life. This time I read a comic called Science Comics: Dogs. Man, I knew that was going to be a great book right when I saw the title. Because what topic could be more important than DOGS? (Global warming, maybe, but you humans don’t seem interested enough in that, now do you?)
Just in case you’re thinking this is “fake news,” let me remind you I’m a Border Collie, the most intelligent of dogs, and not only do I read, write, and post reviews, I also watch your Netflix when you’re at work. I mean, you don’t expect me to watch the dandelions grow all day while you’re gone, do you?
So on to the book. Science Comics: Dogs is full of interesting details on everything about a dog’s life. From the way a dog smells (Did you know we have two smellers? I bet you didn’t!) to the way humans affect dog genetics and evolution, this book has it all. Rudy, the dog who is your guide, loves ball, just like I do, and he’ll help you travel back in time to witness early dog-human collaboration, take you to Russia to observe Silver Fox breeding experiments, and even show you dog DNA. My human is a science teacher and she would do well to buy this book for her classes because everything a middle school life science student needs to know is in here. Heck, if I had a credit card, I’d buy her a class set. Then maybe she’d get home a little earlier and play more ball. If your human is smart, they’ll fetch this book from the bookstore before you can say WOOF. -
Fun educational, cutting-edge scientific information!
I am very surprised with this book, scientific information about the origin of dogs is very well explained for children and adolescents. The part of genetics and evolution goes deep and touches enough detail to make clear the most important aspects. It was even educational for me, the latest research data on breeding and the discovery of behavioral traits associated with various morphological traits were unknown to me.
It also includes fun explanations about the vision of dogs, their ears, their barking, and their powerful smell that can detect diseases in humans. In their genes they have the ability to read human body expressions and respond to them like no other species, they actually communicate with us!
Our friendly playful friends are the most widespread mammal species on Earth along with humans for 5000 years, plus you'll also find information on how humans have created hundreds of breeds and traits about their body language to better understand your companion dog. Surely it is a species that will companion us when we go to live to the moon or other planets!
My gratitude to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book -
These Science Comics are always fun as well as informative, and this one, focusing on canines, will be a hit with animal lovers. As a dog named Rudy heads outdoors with his human companion, he takes readers on a journey of discovery in which they learn about the bond between humans and dogs and how dogs evolved to the point they are now. It's a pretty entertaining way to learn about genetics and Punnett squares as well as evolution and natural selection. I'd often wondered about how breeders operate and the dangers of a closed population of a species, and I got several of my questions answered here. The use of a graphic novel format makes the information visual and easy to swallow while also amusing readers as Rudy keeps chasing that yellow tennis ball that he loves so much. The book takes Rudy and readers back to prehistoric times, makes a stop in the office of Charles Darwin, and also lands in Siberia in 1959 where Dmitri Belyaev is experimenting with silver foxes to learn more about domestication of animals. This is a slim volume, but I learned more for it than I did from some of my science classes in high school and college. I also have a whole new appreciation for dogs.
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Hirsch, Andy Science Comics: Dogs: From Predator to Protector, 120 pages. NON-FICTION/GRAPHIC NOVEL First Second, 2017. $20. Content: G.
This books delves into the science behind how dogs evolved from predators to pets. The first part of the book explains how DNA and traits works as well as natural selection and evolution. The middle of the book describes the five different senses of dogs with interesting facts and pictures. The last part of the book explains how the world has created different breeds of dogs.
This book is fascinating! I’m not a dog person, but I couldn’t put this book down. This book is science heavy with entertaining illustrations to explain the scientific processes. The vocabulary and depth of the content make this more appropriate for middle school and it would work great in a biology unit. The cover is appealing and I’m sure elementary kids would pick it up based on that, but once they started to read it I think they would get discouraged by the high reading level.
MS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer, C. Peterson.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018... -
This books delves into the science behind how dogs evolved from predators to pets. The first part of the book explains how DNA and traits works as well as natural selection and evolution. The middle of the book describes the five different senses of dogs with interesting facts and pictures. The last part of the book explains how the world has created different breeds of dogs. This book is fascinating! I’m not a dog person, but I couldn’t put this book down. This book is science heavy with entertaining illustrations to explain the scientific processes. The vocabulary and depth of the content make this more appropriate for middle school and it would work great in a biology unit. The cover is appealing and I’m sure elementary kids would pick it up based on that, but once they started to read it I think they would get discouraged by the high reading level. This book is also reviewed on Kiss the Book blog.
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Don't be fooled by the word "Comics" in the title or by the host Rudy who is chasing a ball throughout the narrative: this book is straight-up science at its best. Some of the topics include genetics, evolution, color vision, olfactory processes, cognition, behavioral traits. By presenting complex scientific concepts using vivid illustrations, humor, and clear text, the author presents material that students will encounter and remember in future science classes. Dog lovers will come away from this book with a better understanding of their dogs' behaviors and abilities. I read it twice. (I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
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If I have one complaint, there was more about the science of the animal and less of the why behind the actions. If you like dogs, this is a fun and fairly easy way to learn about them. There is a small story behind the facts but it is more straight on information. Rudy, the dog, takes a journey through time (while chasing an elusive yellow tennis ball) about how the "Wolf of Yesterday Became the Dog of Today." (Well, it's not *exactly* that way.) Myths debunked (there is no such thing as "dog years") and facts with dad-humor mixed in makes this a journey for all ages, but probably best for 10 to 12.
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I loved the graphic novel format and I think my students will too (they're so big into graphic novels this year!), but I worry that they tend to read through graphic novels really quickly and this book has so much information it in that they're going to miss a lot of things. There are no chapters or natural stopping points, either, which is a bummer. I was hoping this would be more about what made dogs the way they are and what we know about how dogs interact with the environment, but it was primarily focused on DNA and genetics. That being said, when I showed it to my students it was immediately scooped up and fought over.
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wow, what a terrific entry in the Science Comics series. I love dogs, so I especially thought of my own dog as I read this. The whole beginning about genetics and how traits are passed on is very interesting (and how dogs and wolves are related) and really the whole idea of breeds was fascinating. I loved reading about the dog's senses and abilities.
highly recommended for all dog lovers, plus people who just like to read really interesting facts (with adorable illustrations of frolicking dogs.) -
Bookaday #35. I adore the Science Comics series. Of course the one about dogs is a favorite! So many topics: Genetics, evolution, inherited and behavioral traits, jobs dogs do & are bred for, breeds, communication, circadian rhythm, some of these are very scientifically dense, I skimmed over some of them, a young reader may also.
Love the time references: Walk o’clock, dinner o’clock, play o’clock. Also love the pitch for shelter adoptions.
Dallas illustrator and credits to Richardson humane society and Plano PL -
Picked this up as a library read, and was glad I did. This is geared towards an 8-13 year old age group but is quite scientific broaching the somewhat complex topic of genetics to help explain how dogs came to be our bffs. I work with dogs and know a lot about them already. I found this book to be pretty informative and had some cool facts that I had never known. If you have any desire to know a little more about why your dog acts a certain way or does certain things, it’s a brief insight into why makes them tick.
