The Animal Toolkit: How Animals Use Tools

Until 1960, when Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee using a blade of grass to “fish” for termites, it was believed that humans were the only animal to use tools. Since her discovery, we’ve learned that many creatures use sticks, leaves, rocks, and other natural items as tools.

In this latest nonfiction picture book from Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, readers learn all about what makes a tool a tool—and the remarkable ways animals that use them to interact with our world. From the tailorbird, which repurposes spider silk to stitch a leaf into its nest, to the gorilla, which uses sticks to test water depth and build bridges, these animals are intelligent, innovative, and creative.

Using his signature cut paper illustrations, Steve Jenkins offers readers a closer look at these animals, their habitats, and their behaviors. In turns jaw-dropping, funny, and inspiring, The Animal Toolkit will fascinate animal enthusiasts and aspiring inventors everywhere.