Can We Talk?: How Humans Stay in Touch

Let’s talk.

We don’t think much about our ability to communicate. We simply have a conversation, make a call, send a text or use sign language to share information. But how was human language invented? And when?

Communication is a way for us to express ourselves, share information and maintain relationships with others. Hundreds of years ago, humans needed to communicate to hunt, farm and defend against threats. Today, thanks to satellites and computers, we can communicate in an instant with just about anyone on Earth. Can We Talk? examines the evolution of human communication―from the theories about how spoken language began to the technological advances that connect the world now.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Maria Birmingham has worked in the children’s publishing industry for over 25 years. She is the award-winning author of over a dozen books for young people, including Can We Talk? How Humans Stay in Touch, Are We There Yet? How Humans Find Their Way and Are We Having Fun Yet? The Human Quest for a Good Time. Maria lives in Brampton, Ontario with her family.

Xulin Wang is an award-winning Canadian-Chinese illustrator, cartoonist, writer and muralist based in Toronto. They write and illustrate comics at the intersection of science and social justice. As a lifelong learner passionate about education and science communication, they've dedicated their career to translating complex ideas into compelling and understandable illustrations.