Mark Ruffle Books

We Are All Animals is part of the ‘What on Earth!’ children’s information books, exploring elements of life on Earth from Bees to Wind. This book focuses on the similarities between animals, in particular demonstrating common traits between different species and humans. The aim is to highlight that humans should treat other species as equally important,  as, after all, we are all animals.

The foreword, by ‘Supervet’ Professor Neil Fitzpatrick suggests that our similarities with other animals should mean doctors and vets work together to understand living things better and provide an equal amount of technology, medicines and care to all species of animal. Each double-page spread highlights a commonality between living things, e.g. we are all tubes (focusing on digestion), we are all networked (focusing on nervous systems), as all pass things on (focusing on genetics and inheritance) and so on. Each section introduces the topic, explaining some complex scientific processes in clear, child-friendly language, before giving specific examples in humans and then a range of different animal species. For example, in the ‘We all have feelings,’ pages, emotions are demonstrated through the fear of rattlesnakes, the grief of African elephants, the love of birds, the fun of bees and the joy of rats!

The illustrations by Mark Ruffle are clear and pleasing to the eye. Complex scientific diagrams are simplified yet still accurate. This is a great book to dip in and out of, but also useful in science lessons as it discusses areas covered in the National Curriculum for Science in clear and interesting ways.