From New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Balcombe comes this charming and affecting tale of young Jake, who on his first fishing trip with his grandfather, makes a crucial discovery when he meets Ava, an archerfish, caught on his line.

This tender tale will evoke empathy in young readers. And, the art is exquisite.”

–Joyce Sidman, winner of the NCTE Award for excellence in Poetry for Children, Winner of the Sibert Medal, author of The Girl who Drew Butterflies and many other titles.

“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. ”

–Sy Montgomery, author of Becoming a Good Creature.

“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.
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

Jonathan Balcombe is the author of four books on animal sentience, including the New York Times bestselling What A Fish Knows, which was nominated for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Award for Science Writing. He has worked for years as a researcher and educator with the Humane society to show us the consciousness of other creatures, and here he takes us to the farthest reaches of the animal kingdom.

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