PESTS AND PETS

Discover how human intervention changed the histories of 18 species.

Broken up into the three loose categories—“Creatures we find cute,” “Creatures we find useful,” and “Creatures that find us useful”—this graphic nonfiction title traces the domestication of common pets and farm animals as well as our relationships with less-popular creatures, such as mice, raccoons, and cockroaches. Each creature is given its own chapter, which introduces general information, such as weight, size, and diet, before delving into its intersection with humankind. The chapters are informative and include enough jokes, quips, and groaners to keep most readers engaged. A few chapters cross over broad categories, intimating at the complexities of humankind’s dietary incentives. Rabbits, for instance, have been farmed for their meat for centuries as well as more recently raised as pets, but their introduction into the wild in Australia has been calamitous. The artwork features an international cast of humans representing multiple cultures. The world map that introduces every chapter identifies each species’ “(Likely) Wild Origin” and uses star points instead of ranges, which may confuse literal-minded readers. That, and a lack of bibliography, may annoy those seeking to learn more. These quibbles aside, the book is an entertaining, sometimes-sobering look at the effects we’ve had on the planet. It’s a useful title for any nonfiction shelf, but it may need a little support now and then.

File this one under “Books we find useful.”