Darwin and the true story of the dinosaurs

This slim, delightful romp of a biography should make Mr. Darwin and his theory of evolution by natural selection a lot more accessible and enjoyable for young readers and forever dispel images of him as a stodgy old guy with an impressive beard, surrounded by tortoises. There are three concurrent narratives: first, an imagined first-person, rather self-deprecating life story told by Darwin himself. Then there are regular text inserts supplying background technical information, including nineteenth-century science discoveries (and sometimes erroneous interpretations) that were occupying other naturalists while Darwin was developing his own body of work. Finally, humorous, witty line drawings appear on every page and provide a rather irreverent running commentary, helping explain thorny issues and keeping everybody humble. Whether used as a hook to entice researchers or as entertaining supplemental material (students and parents alike should appreciate the clear, concise Darwinian Dictionary, an illustrated glossary), this inaugural English translation from the Flashes of Genius series makes for a fun addition to science shelves.--McBroom, Kathleen Copyright 2017 Booklist

Gr 3 Up-Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species forever changed human thought. But before the birth of that book, Darwin struggled to find his place in the world. Considered a middling student and regarded as incompetent by his father, Darwin moved from studies in medicine to theology, until he was encouraged by one of his professors to take an exploratory trip around the world. Thus began Darwin's scientific journey that eventually led to his seminal work. Novelli introduces readers to Darwin as a boy and takes them through his life using short chapters containing conversational dialogue, cartoonlike line drawings, and sidebars peppered with historical tidbits. The combination of the first-person narrative and the illustrations makes for an engaging and fast-paced read. Students will also enjoy the useful "Darwinian Dictionary," the author's "interview" with Darwin, and the addition of current photographs of places visited by the great naturalist. VERDICT A humorous pick for large STEM collections; great for readers not quite ready for Deborah Heiligman's Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith.-Tabitha Nordby, Red River College, Man. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.