What Sheep Think About the Weather
How to listen to what animals are trying to say - The perfect stocking filler for the animal lover in your life
Published on 13. November 2025
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-1-78396-923-4 (ISBN)
Description
'A thought-provoking and very readable book' The Mail on Sunday
'This emotionally charged page-turner is a masterpiece.' Pilley Bianchi, author of For the Love of Dog
Are animals trying to talk to us? And can we learn to listen?
It started with a hummingbird dive-bombing Amelia Thomas over her morning coffee, and a pair of piglets determined to escape. Soon Amelia begins to wonder about all the creatures around her - her cat, her dogs, the pheasant family inhabiting the woods, her 'difficult' big red horse, even the earwigs in her farm's dark, damp corners. Were all these animals trying to communicate with her in some way? And could she learn to listen and understand what they were saying?
With the doggedness of a journalist, the soul of an animal lover, and the wonder of a curious intellect, Amelia embarks on a journey to uncover the answer. Along the way, as well as groundbreaking chimps and circumspect octopuses, she'll meet an extraordinary cast of experts, from anthrozoologists and trackers to AI researchers and pet psychics, all offering a new perspective on the subtle, complex ways animals connect with us.
Filled with warm wit, playful stories and surprising science, What Sheep Think About the Weather is a call to listen - not only to the animals we love but to the untamed world around us.
'A refreshingly open-minded and wide-ranging book that seeks to bridge the gulf that all too often separates us from our fellow creatures.' David Barrie, author of Incredible Journeys
'A warm and thought-provoking read, filled with plenty of charm and wit. You'll never look at animals the same way.' Jules Howard, author of Wonderdog
'Compelling, original and surprisingly introspective, it simultaneously uncovers the animal in us and the human in animals.' Hannah Bourne-Taylor, author of Nature Needs You
'This emotionally charged page-turner is a masterpiece.' Pilley Bianchi, author of For the Love of Dog
Are animals trying to talk to us? And can we learn to listen?
It started with a hummingbird dive-bombing Amelia Thomas over her morning coffee, and a pair of piglets determined to escape. Soon Amelia begins to wonder about all the creatures around her - her cat, her dogs, the pheasant family inhabiting the woods, her 'difficult' big red horse, even the earwigs in her farm's dark, damp corners. Were all these animals trying to communicate with her in some way? And could she learn to listen and understand what they were saying?
With the doggedness of a journalist, the soul of an animal lover, and the wonder of a curious intellect, Amelia embarks on a journey to uncover the answer. Along the way, as well as groundbreaking chimps and circumspect octopuses, she'll meet an extraordinary cast of experts, from anthrozoologists and trackers to AI researchers and pet psychics, all offering a new perspective on the subtle, complex ways animals connect with us.
Filled with warm wit, playful stories and surprising science, What Sheep Think About the Weather is a call to listen - not only to the animals we love but to the untamed world around us.
'A refreshingly open-minded and wide-ranging book that seeks to bridge the gulf that all too often separates us from our fellow creatures.' David Barrie, author of Incredible Journeys
'A warm and thought-provoking read, filled with plenty of charm and wit. You'll never look at animals the same way.' Jules Howard, author of Wonderdog
'Compelling, original and surprisingly introspective, it simultaneously uncovers the animal in us and the human in animals.' Hannah Bourne-Taylor, author of Nature Needs You
Reviews / Votes
'A refreshingly open-minded and wide-ranging book that seeks to bridge the gulf that all too often separates us from our fellow creatures. It movingly reveals how much they have to tell us - if only we are willing to slow down and listen to them properly.' David Barrie, author of Incredible Journeys'A warm and thought-provoking read, filled with plenty of charm and wit. You'll never look at animals the same way.' Jules Howard, author of Wonderdog
'Compelling, original and surprisingly introspective, it simultaneously uncovers the animal in us and the human in animals.' Hannah Bourne-Taylor, author of Nature Needs You
'Blend the lively, buoyant writing of an award-winning non-scientist with a boat-load of direct experiences with animals, and you have this book. I found it both illuminating and entertaining from start to finish.' Jonathan Balcombe, author of What a Fish Knows
'Based on the latest science, fascinating stories, and personal reflections, this easy-to-read, fact-filled and fun-filled book will open all of your senses including your sense of awe and get you to wonder what it is like to be one of them in their worlds, not ours.' Marc Bekoff, PhD., University of Colorado, Boulder; author of The Emotional Lives of Animals
'Every single page of this marvelous book will challenge you, even enchant you. I cannot recommend it highly enough.' Jeffrey Masson, author of When Elephants Weep
'Amelia Thomas is a powerful storyteller and has hit it out of the park in this contemporary anthology of our relationship with animals. From cuttlefish to cows, this brilliantly written and emotionally charged page turner is a masterpiece and masterclass for all animals - human and nonhuman.' Pilley Bianchi, author of For the Love of Dog
'Thomas's passion and concern for animals comes through in vivid scenes and poignant prose that reveals the importance of understanding animals on their own terms . . . an inspiring display of empathy.' Publisher's Weekly
'A sweet and sometimes sad journey into the natural world beyond humanity. This is for naturalists, birders, pet owners, and anyone who interacts with animals or would like to.' Library Journal
'A comprehensive yet conversational book that effortlessly illuminates the possibilities of human-animal communication . . . Full of fascinating facts wittily conveyed, it elucidates science and nurtures empathy. Thomas's genial tone will make readers feel they know each of the pets and wild animals described.' Shelf Awareness
'A thought-provoking and very readable book ... while we may never be able to actually converse with our pets, if we spent less time talking at them and more time listening to them and observing them, we could communicate far more effectively with the animals who share our lives.' The Mail on Sunday
'It's a tale that is fascinating, inspiring and entertaining - and also a little sad, as in the case of one of Amelia's beloved pets who communicated with her as he reached the end of his life. Learning to listen to animals, it turns out, can mean hearing things that you won't always like ... a fascinating read.' CountryLife.co.uk
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 219 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
404 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78396-923-4 (9781783969234)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Amelia Thomas is the author of The Zoo on the Road to Nablus, the true story of the last Palestinian zoo, a Daily Mail and Washington Post Critic's Choice. She has authored and contributed to over a dozen books for Lonely Planet, and her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Sunday Times, Christian Science Monitor, Middle East Times and CNN Traveler. She was the host of a documentary about Israel and the West Bank in National Geographic Channel's "Roads Less Travelled" series. Thomas practices equine bodywork for several charitable organizations, and in addition to Cambridge University, she holds a diploma in Equine Psychology. Based in Canada, Amelia is British and has extensively travelled and lived around the world with her family.