What might we learn about our own human natures from the friskiness of a young goat, the focus of a hawk, the transformation of a butterfly, or the hibernation of a bear?

How can animals-through their natural and cultural histories-offer us ideas that could help us better understand ourselves, navigate a relationship, or change an aspect of our lives? Do the animals that we admire or fear reveal something about us? What about the animals who appear in our dreams, visions, and creative inspirations? These are some of the questions addressed in Belinda Recio’s new book, Your Inner Zoo: A Guide to the Meaning of Animals and the Insights They Offer Us.

Part animal symbolism dictionary, part field guide, and part meditation on how animals help us to understand ourselves and the world, Recio wrote Your Inner Zoo to help readers develop a zoology of the self -a sense of how animals live within us as ideas and insights, intuitions, and instincts.

Interweaving natural history and with animal symbolism, metaphors, folktales, and traditions, Your Inner Zoo invites readers to approach animals as sources of wisdom, perspectives, and provocative ideas that can lead to self-discovery and a deeper connection with the more-than-human world.

Illustrated throughout with original color artwork by the author and stunning photography, Your Inner Zoo helps readers to recognize how much animals have contributed to the way we see ourselves and the world.