Most of us who have dogs or cats know that animals play a lot. They do it with us, with other animals, or on their own. In KINGDOM OF PLAY, David Toomey explores how a multitude of animals play in nature. This is not a light read, but rather a book that goes deep into the science of play, even the neuroscience and culture of play.

But even Toomey points out that sometimes we just don't know why animals play. Cats, for example, play with their food if it's of the live variety. They are known for playing with mice before killing them. Why? Toomey explains: "Sarah L. Hall of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Southampton summarized the conclusions of similar studies, writing, 'It is unclear why cats play with live prey.'" He points out that we've seen cats play with their prey for as long as we have been in existence, but we still don't know why they do it.

"...detailed and fascinating... [T]he information about animals and play generally will delight readers and animal lovers."

Those of us on social media might have seen videos of dogs sliding down snow-covered hills over and over again, obviously playing just as much as any child might sled down that same hill. Toomey does not shy away from including information about dogs, including a hypothesis about how wolves were first induced to become our companions. He mentions that in "a surprisingly short time --- only forty or so generations --- the wolves' appearance changed, with more and more having splotchy coats, floppy ears, and wagging tails."

The reference for the above quote is Brian Hare, who wrote THE GENIUS OF DOGS. In that book, the chapter titled "Clever as a Fox" details a Russian experiment whereby within 40 generations, Siberian foxes bred by selecting those more amenable to humans began to change physically as well. In addition to being friendly, they wagged their tails and had floppy ears and splotchy coats. It's a fascinating study, and perhaps an insight into how the wolf eventually became the dog.

The play bow is what dogs do when they want another dog to play with them. Dogs love to play and run around. If they don't have anyone to play with, they often will throw things in the air, run like crazy around a space, and dig with abandon. Dogs know how to have a good time. But so do many other species.

In this detailed and fascinating book, we learn that octopuses will take objects in their tank and play with them, blowing them into a vent that then pushes the objects back at them. Even fish play, as Toomey details how captive sturgeon were seen swimming to the top of the water, gulping air, and releasing the bubbles from the bottom of the tank. Other fish were observed spitting eggs from one to the other, back and forth. Were they playing ball?

Toomey shares how each animal plays and the place and time from which that behavior might have evolved. We go on scientific journeys back up the evolutionary ladder as we read all about play in nature. While there might be more science in the book than some would like, the information about animals and play generally will delight readers and animal lovers.