A beautiful and engaging book that makes scientific concepts accessible to young readers. Charles Darwin is famous for explaining evolution, and On The Origin Of Species is one of the scientific texts that children are likely to hear about from early age. However, it is not necessarily the most accessible text for young readers keen to understand more about Darwin’s theories. This is where the Words That Changed The World Series comes in. It makes famous scientific discoveries exciting and engaging for young readers.
The story begins by setting Darwin’s life into an historical context and introducing some of the leading ideas about life from the time. By turning Darwin into a character and following the story of how he made his discoveries everything is instantly more exciting than if the theories themselves had been introduced without context.
The science is explained over double-page spreads that are so beautiful that every single one is a delight and a work of art. The word-count of each spread is relatively low – mainly with small blocks of text and then also some page-long stories and explanations – and the illustrations are an absolute visual feast. Little details in every spread draw the eye in. Something about the birds and the plants reminded me of William Morris’s art, although the illustrations are fresh and have a modern feel too.
Diagrams explain concepts such as the interdependency of species, evolution over time, and the classification of living things. This is no text-book though – it is science made beautiful and the result is spectacular.
What’s lovely about this series is that it draws in everyone from the scientific to the arty to the inquisitive and even those who might not be so interested in learning. Simply by being so attractive it draws in readers and that, in my view, is always a great place to start. It gives an early grounding in Darwin’s life and in his major theories. It would also be a lovely resource to use to encourage children to create an artwork based on a scientific principle.
Laurence King Publishing produces wonderful, art-filled books and this one is another gem. A solid introduction to Darwin’s principles and a stunning book that is a pleasure to browse.
- Charles Darwin’s On The Origin Of Species by Anna Brett and Nick Hayes is available now, RRP. £17.99, from Laurence King Publishing (Provided for Review)
