Darwin's Tree of Life

“Both an introduction to Darwinian concepts and an exploration of the Earth’s life. Even before explanations of natural selection and species origin, there is a helpful ‘Geological Time Chart’ that explains eon, era, period, and epoch. Following these, double-page spreads show examples of animals, plants, and protists (which are neither) both extant and extinct on the branches of a tree that begins with one-celled organisms and moves into and beyond the category called ‘Skillful Mammals.’ The illustrations and layout are spectacular. Stylized animals and plants are solid blocks of color…

“Both an introduction to Darwinian concepts and an exploration of the Earth’s life… The illustrations and layout are spectacular… The graceful, accessible text respects its readers… [It] strikes an excellent balance between upholding scientific research and noting its limits as well as its ongoing, self-correcting, nature. Darwin would approve.”

"Entwined in Charles Darwin's theories and the tree of life, evolution is clearly explained. Well organized and beginning with a geology time chart, the book breaks out into ever-increasing complexity. Bright covers ancient times and how chemicals and heat acted as an evolutionary catalyst. There is quite a bit in between that is addressed in small bites. Author and illustrator have created a congenial mix, using tree limbs to symbolize the tree of life growing around each distinct blurb and then meandering across the double-page spread. Carpentier has created a bright, cheerful platform for…

This fresh approach to evolution provides young readers with an innovative introduction to natural selection and adaptation. After brief bits about Charles Darwin and his theory of survival of the fittest, two-page spreads introduce flora and fauna from various branches of his classification system, highlighting how certain characteristics supported various life forms' continued existence. For example, the section on €˜Flats, Tubes, and the Indestructibles' features brief commentary and colorful illustrations of worms (flatworms, Christmas Tree worms), thread-like animals (nematodes and…