Patrick McDonnell tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of “a life living with and helping all animals,” until one day she finds that her dream has come true. With anecdotes taken directly from her autobiography, McDonnell makes this very true story accessible for the very young–and young at heart. 1-6 years
Chimpanzee Children of Gombe
By Jane Goodall, Photographs by Michael Neugebauer
This book is filled with photos of many of the chimpanzee babies, toddlers, and young adults that live in the Gombe National Park in Tanzania, where the Jane Goodall research center is located. Dr. Goodall has campaigned unceasingly for the protection of the chimpanzee—now an endangered species—and this moving, personal account will educate readers about the many threats to the animals in the wild and inspire readers of all ages to join in her vital work. 5-7 years
Jane Goodall: A Champion of Chimpanzees
By Sarah Albee, Illustrated by Gustavo Mazali
Learn about the life of Jane Goodall, a pioneering scientist who became the worlds expert on chimpanzees, in this early reader biography.
She was the first person to study wild chimpanzees up close in a rain forest. She befriended the chimps and discovered amazing facts about their behaviors. What she learned forever changed how people look at these animals.
Beginning readers will learn about the milestones in Jane Goodall’s life in this Level Two I Can Read biography. This biography includes a timeline and photos all about the life of this inspiring scientist. Preschool – 3rd Grade
You Are a Star Jane Goodall
By Dean Robbins, Illustrated by Hatem Aly
Using a unique mix of first-person narrative, hilarious comic panels, and essential facts, Dean Robbins introduces young readers to an scientific trailblazer. You Are a Star, Jane Goodall focuses on Jane’s lifelong mission to understand the chimpanzees and protect the planet. Hatem Aly’s spot-on comic illustrations bring this icon to life, and back matter instructs readers on how to be more like Jane! 5-7 years
The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps
By Jeannette Winter
Follow Jane from her childhood in London watching a robin on her windowsill, to her years in the African forests of Gombe, Tanzania, invited by the brilliant scientist Louis Leakey to observe chimps, to her worldwide crusade to save these primates, who are now in danger of extinction. Young animal lovers will welcome this moving portrait of an extraordinary person and the animals to whom she has dedicated her life. 4-8 years
Jane Goodall: A Life with Chimpanzees
By Anita Ganeri
Bring history home and meet some of the world’s greatest game changers! Get inspired by the true story of a famous researcher who studied chimpanzees. This biography series is for kids who loved Who Was? and are ready for the next level.
In July 1960, Jane Goodall went into the wilderness in Tanzania to study chimpanzees. For years she camped out with the chimps, observing their behavior and making amazing discoveries! Jane had always been fascinated by animals and knew she wanted to make learning more about them her life’s work. Find out how this girl who loved animals became one of history’s greatest trailblazers! Grades 3-7
Who Is Jane Goodall?
By Roberta Edwards, Illustrated by John O’Brien
A life in the wild!
Jane Goodall, born in London, England, always loved animals and wanted to study them in their natural habitats. So at age twenty-six, off she went to Africa! Goodall’s up-close observations of chimpanzees changed what we know about them and paved the way for many female scientists who came after her. Now her story comes to life in this biography with black-and-white illustrationsthroughout. 8-12 years
Who Is Jane Goodall? A Board Book
By Lisbeth Kaiser, Illustrated by Stanley Chow
The chronology and themes of Jane Goodall’s meaningful life are presented in a masterfully succinct text, with just a few sentences per page. The fresh, stylized illustrations are sure to captivate young readers and adults alike. With a read-aloud biographical summary in the back, this age-appropriate introduction honors and shares the life and work of one of the most influential scientists of our time. 2-4 years
Jane Goodall: Biography for Kids
By William Rice
In 1900, an estimated 1 million chimpanzees lived in the wild. Today, there are only about 340,000. Jane Goodall spent years observing, interacting with, and studying chimpanzees. Her true story is in this easy-to-read, picture-filled biography for kids. She is a wonderful example of how to work hard and follow your dreams. 7-9 years
Jane Goodall Champion for Chimpanzees
By Jodie Shepherd
Jane Goodall loved animals from the time she was a young girl. She dreamed of going to Africa to see the wildlife that lived there. After getting her wish, Goodall went on to become one of the most respected primatologists in the world. Her many discoveries changed the way we look at and treat chimpanzees. 4-7 years
Jane Goodall: Researcher Who Champions Chimpanzees
By Mike Venezia
This biography of Jane Goodall is perfect for young readers, developing scientists, and critical thinkers. It contains cartoon-style illustrations to complement the easy-to-read text and full-color reproductions of sketches and notebooks. 7-9 years
Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas
By Jim Ottaivani, Illustrated by Maris Wicks
Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Birute Galdiakas were all students of the great Louis Leakey. Each made profound contributions to primatology―and to our own understanding of ourselves. Primates, a graphic novel, is an accessible, entertaining, and informative look at the field of primatology and at the lives of three of the most remarkable women scientists of the twentieth century. 12-18 years
The books descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
As a young child, Jane Goodall had a toy chimpanzee. She named him Jubilee. When Jane was eight years old, she read The Story ofDr. Doolittle and the Tarzan books by Edgar Rice Burroughs. She dreamed of living in Africa. “I was absolutely fascinated with the idea of being out in the jungle, out with the animals, being a part of it all,” she said later.
On July 14, 1960, Jane’s dream came true. Famed paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey found in Jane a patient, determined young woman, with the right qualities necessary to study the behavior of chimpanzees in the wild. Jane traveled to the Gombe Stream Game Reserve in Tanzania (then Tanganyika) to record her observations not knowing that her research would be groundbreaking.
At first, Jane was unable to find chimpanzees or was only aware that they were in the jungle near her. Once she found a high peak that overlooked two valleys, Jane was able to follow the daily interactions and behavior of the chimps through her binoculars. They were aware of her presence and over time expected that she would be there watching them. Through Louis Leakey’s insistence, a filmmaker captured Jane and her observations.
Jane learned that chimps are nomadic in nature, searching over two to six miles a day for food. She learned that mothers and young chimps stay together and that males are not part of child raising. And she watched the chimps spend part of their day resting and grooming each other.
When a small group of chimps let Jane come near them, it was the “proudest and most exciting moment of my life,” she said. Jane named the matriarch of the group, Flo. She observed Flo’s infant, Flint, as he grew and his sister Fifi’s intense interest in him. Fifi often tried to imitate Flo’s gentle mothering. Jane learned that young chimps are deeply curious about the world around them and are intrigued by baby chimps.
Jane told her staff to signal her if a chimp approached their camp. One day, a male, Jane had observed and named David Graybeard, entered the camp. He grabbed a stalk of bananas from a tent. When Jane was told, she returned and photographed David eating the bananas. He entered the camp again, and in time other chimps followed. Jane, it seemed, was no longer a perceived threat.
Jane Goodall grooms the coat of a chimpanzee as he eats a banana in this photo from 1974. National Geographic Photo
Jane’s most amazing discovery was that chimps make and use tools. The chimps in the groups Jane studied over three generations, used stalks of grass to dip into holes in the earth to capture termites. They modified these tools by breaking off the ends of the stalks when they became less effective.
Twigs were used as similar tools after their leaves were removed. The chimps also made sponges by wadding up leaves. They dipped the sponges into tree holes that had collected rainwater and then drank from the sponges. Jane also learned that chimps were not solely plant eaters. They hunted and ate mammals, including baboons, bush pigs, antelope, and monkeys. And Jane observed aggression in chimps which made them seem even more like humans to her.
Jane Goodall lectures around the world stressing the importance of “creating a balance between humans and the natural world.” She established the Jane Goodall Institute and Roots and Shoots, a program for children. Visit these programsat:https://www.janegoodall.org
“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.” – Jane Goodall
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
