The Wisdom of Moms: Love and Lessons From the Animal Kingdom

One of my favorite stories of wisdom from the animal kingdom is of gorillas; so closely related to humans, I learned that gorilla babies spend the first five months connected to mom and nurses for up to three years. Thinking back to having a newborn, this very much mirrors my experience and would be a comfort to any new mom. Another inspiring story is of the capybara; in the capybara community any female can mother a capybara pup and all of the females help in raising the litter in a true sense of community. Lastly, one of my favorite quotes in the book comes with a picture of one of my favorite animals, the giraffe. Giraffe moms carry their baby in gestation for up to 15 months. Joyce Carol Oates sums up family life for us: " What is family, after all, except memories? -haphazard and precious as the contents of a catchall drawer in the kitchen."
A perfect Mother's Day Gift for a new mom, your mom or yourself!
This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.
Purchase Links for THE WISDOM OF MOMS: National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My favorite father story is of the Barbary macaque. Macaques are very social and part of their social standing relies on how well they take care of their children. This is very reflective of some human fathers! Another fun father fact I learned was about the Stickleback fish. Fish are not often thought of as having parenting skills at all, though the Stickleback fish father is the sole guardian of his eggs. While standing guard, he is responsible for the cleanliness an oxygen level of the nest and will fan the eggs. He also teaches his fry self-defense tactics. My favorite quote of the book is paired with the amazing puffer fish and his intricately made nest; from Robert Brault: " Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
A wonderful choice for Father's Day or any amazing dad in your life.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Purchase Links for AMAZING DADS: National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble