What are some good evolution books for kids?
24/09/11
Question by Gav Brown: What are some good evolution books for kids?
I am buying a present for my 8 year old nephew, and he wants a ‘science book’. I thought a book on evolution would be cool, but are there any such books for younger kids? I am interested in a book that really explores the subject, not one that makes Darwin look like a nut (I have seen one of those…for homeschooled kids, I’m guessing). Any ideas?
Best answer:
Answer by Roadwalker
check out the Eyewitness books. They cover all topics including science and present it in a very fun and easy to read format.
What do you think? Answer below!
The Origin of species – “Darwin’s classic work written after travelling to the galooigo Islands.
The Charlies Playhouse website has several products but your nephew might be a little old for them:
http://www.charliesplayhouse.com/
Our Family Tree is a good book:
http://www.amazon.com/Our-Family-Tree-Evolution-Story/dp/0152017720/ref=pd_sim_b_1
Well, here’s what Amazon suggests for you:
http://www.amazon.com/Secular-Childrens-Books-Universe-Evolution/lm/R3HRLHFWLRHR1D
This one: http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Lets-Read-Science-Books/dp/0064450864/ref=cm_lmf_tit_27 looks a little “young” for your nephew (depends on, er, how smart he is), but it looks like it’s probably fairly comprehensive.
If he reads a bit above his grade level, http://www.amazon.com/Lava-Life-Universe-Sharing-Children/dp/1584690437/ref=cm_lmf_tit_6 might be a good one. It appears to be the second book in a series of (probably) 3, so you might want the whole set.
This series: http://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Life-Cartoon-History-Earth/dp/1553370813/ref=cm_lmf_tit_9 might be a little more… silly than your nephew likes, but you know him better than we do…
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Earth-Evolution-Steve-Jenkins/dp/0618164766/ref=cm_lmf_tit_14 looks pretty solid.
Another cartoony one: http://www.amazon.com/When-Sharks-Teeth-Began-Swarm/dp/142630546X/ref=cm_lmf_tit_15
This one’s human specific, but also looks like it has potential: http://www.amazon.com/Human-Body-How-We-Evolved/dp/0688067190/ref=cm_lmf_tit_25
If he likes whales, this one: http://www.amazon.com/How-Whales-Walked-Into-Sea/dp/0590898302/ref=cm_lmf_tit_30 might be good.
Here is Larry Gonick’s Cartoon Guide to Genetics in the updated edition. The science writing is assisted by Mark Wheelis of UC Davis
Original cartoon layouts
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/Exhibits/Biotech/cartoon.html
Look at it and decide if it is suitable
I admit we had a number of the early editions floating around at University of Wash & Immunex when it first came out. It is well written and the cartoons catch a child’s interest. This book starts right from the beginning, and builds the topics carefully and simply but with a bit of wry humor all the way to why we have the human genome project.
Larry Gonick
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Gonick
http://www.amazon.com/Larry-Gonick/e/B000AQ75IY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0