Clever Hans: The True Story of the Counting, Adding, and Time-Telling Horse

Clever Hans was a horse who astounded early-20th-century audiences in Berlin with his cognitive talents--he could purportedly tell time and tap out coin values with his hooves--and who turned out to be clever in a different way than originally thought. Hans was also an inadvertent hero, revolutionizing experimental design by showing, as the book's afterword explains, "how scientists can accidently change the way that animals, and even people, react when they are being studied." It all plays out as a rollicking science mystery, with observations resulting in twists and turns, and Kokias (Snow Sisters!) and Lowery (Knot Cannot) are more than up for the task. The text takes an unhurried, reportorial tone ("Scientists, scholars, and religious and military leaders from around the world jumped at the chance to see Clever Hans"), while the thoughtful cartooning portrays Hans himself as downright adorable. Comics-style framing breaks the story into easy-to-grasp chunks, with diagrams, dialogue balloons, and handwritten asides ("Maybe this meant that Clever Hans was a PSYCHIC MIND READER!") that punctuate, nudge, and tickle until the case is cracked--leaving readers feeling a little savvier about the world around them. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Susan McCabe, Lilla Rogers Studio. (May)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 2-4--This picture book shares the story of Clever Hans, a horse who could supposedly count, add, and tell time. Wilhelm von Osten, who lived in Berlin in 1904, owned Hans, an intelligent, talented horse. Crowds appeared on the street daily to observe Hans. Scientists, scholars, and others came to prove that the horse's skills were a hoax. Oskar Pfungst, an assistant of psychologist Carl Stumpf, put blinders on Hans. He determined that the horse needed to see in order to count and tell time. This "discovery" led to the theory that the horse was really interpreting people's faces and body movements to determine if he was right. Pfgunst continued to explore this early concept of body language. The book ends with an explanation of the "Clever Hans effect" (an actual term in psychology) as well as how scientific interpretation requires double-blind testing. Lowery's realistic, cartoon-style drawings are appealing. VERDICT A unique and enlightening story about a lesser-known historical moment and its effects on the field of psychology that would work well as a read-aloud or jumping-off point for a unit on animal and human intelligence and psychology.--Susan Lissim, Dwight Sch., New York

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

It all plays out as a rollicking science mystery . . . The text takes an unhurried, reportorial tone, while the thoughtful cartooning portrays Hans himself as downright adorable. Comics-style framing breaks the story into easy-to-grasp chunks, with diagrams, dialogue balloons, and handwritten asides ("Maybe this meant that Clever Hans was a PSYCHIC MIND READER!") that punctuate, nudge, and tickle until the case is cracked—leaving readers feeling a little savvier about the world around them. -Publishers Weekly

"Kokias' clear, accessible tone pairs well with Lowery's cartoon style. The comically smiling horse invites readers in, and intermittent paneled frames help organize the flow of information and visually propel the storytelling arc. Clever, indeed." -Kirkus

Kokias' text is a model of lighthearted clarity, laying out how various people tested their theories on Hans' performance. Lowery's cartoons capture the quirkiness of the scientific breakthrough and even add some rudimentary German language lessons in the word-bubble translations in conversations and ads. This is much in the spirit of Meghan McCarthy picture books, and it similarly deftly balances information and cheerful goofiness. -The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Lowery's one-dimensional cartoon illustrations are playful and bold . . .Budding horse fans, history fans, and science fans will all find something here to pique their interests." -Booklist