“Archerfishes like Ava are amazing beings. They are not only very bright but
also have rich and deep emotional lives like the companion animals with whom
we’re more familiar. In Jake and Ava, author Jonathan Balcombe
tells a story of much needed empathy and kindness from a boy to a fish that
deserves a broad global audience.”
– Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., author of Animals at Play and Jasper's
story: Saving Moon Bears
“Jake and Ava: A Boy and a Fish is a gorgeous book with a beautiful
message: that all creatures love their lives just like we love ours. (Photo
credit: Paula Gordon)
– Sy Montgomery, author of Becoming a Good Creature
“This tender tale will evoke empathy in young readers. And, the art is
exquisite.”
– Joyce Sidman, winner of The Sibert Medal and the NCTE Award for excellence
in Poetry for Children, author of The Girl who Drew Butterflies and
many other titles.
“Jonathan Balcombe’s book will help children see fishes in the way they
should be seen—as animals who deserve to be treated with kindness and
respect. Jake and Ava is a meaningful and enjoyable story
experience.”
– Aysha Akhtar, MD, MPH, author of Our Symphony With Animals. On Health,
Empathy and Our Shared Destinies.
Jonathan Balcombe is a biologist with a PhD in ethology, the study of animal
behavior. His books include Pleasurable Kingdom, Second Nature, The Exultant
Ark, and What a Fish Knows, a New York Times best-seller translated into
fifteen languages. Super fly: The Unexpected Lives of the World’s Most
Successful Insects is forthcoming in May 2021 from Penguin Books.
Rebecca Evans is an illustrator and author living in Maryland. Her
illustratuons include: Jeannie Houdini by Mary-Ann Stouck, The Gryphon
Press, 2019; Is 2 a Lot: An Adventure With Numbers by Annie Watson, Tilbury
House Publishers, 2019; PLANTS FIGHT BACK by Lisa Amstutz, Dawn
Publications, 2020; IF ANIMALS BUILT YOUR HOUSE by Bill Wise, Dawn
Publications, 2020; ALONE LIKE ME, Anne Schwartz Books, 2022.
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