Alex the Parrot: A True Story

By: Stephanie Spinner

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: In 1977, graduate student Irene Pepperberg walked into a pet store and bought a year-old African grey parrot. Because she was going to study him, she decided to call him Alex--short for Avian Learning EXperiment. At that time, most scientists thought that the bigger the brain, the smarter the creature; they studied great apes and dolphins. African greys, with their walnut-sized "birdbrains," were pretty much ignored--until Alex. His intelligence surprised everyone, including Irene. He learned to count, add, and subtract; to recognize shapes, sizes, and colors; and to speak, and understand, hundreds of words. These were things no other animal could do. Alex wasn't supposed to have the brainpower to do them, either. But he did them anyway.Accompanied by Meilo So's stunning illustrations, Alex and Irene's story is one of groundbreaking discoveries about animal intelligence, hard work, and the loving bonds of a unique friendship.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
Book Size:: 42 Pages
ISBN-13:: 9780307975676
Related ISBNs:: 9780375868467
Publisher:: Random House Children's Books
Date of Addition:: 11/10/22
Copyrighted By:: Stephanie Spinner
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: Children's Books, Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Biographies and Memoirs
Grade Levels:: Fourth grade, Fifth grade, Sixth grade, Seventh grade
Reading Age:: 9–12
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.