Customer Reviews

One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love this book for read aloud. It is a bit long for one sitting, but I prepared my students and they paid attention the entire time. It is beautifully illustrated. I have a class of fifth graders and I thought the reading level was just right. I like the way it dealt with Darwin's inner conflict regarding evolution and his and Emma's religious beliefs.
I would recommend it as a way of studying Darwin.

There were a lot of interesting things in the house for Charles to
look at. It was not the kind of house where children were told things
like, "children must look, but not touch." Even his mother had
interesting things to look at, for she raised pigeons. One of his
favorite things to do was to collect beetles. He even learned the
names of them. Charles was learning many things, but not in school.
After his mother died, his father became exasperated with him. "You
. . . will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family "

When he was sixteen, he was sent off to college to learn medicine, but
he still didn't get the picture. His grades were lousy and he still
was interested in collecting things as he was a born naturalist, not a
student. Studying to be a doctor was definitely not in the cards so
his father sent him to the University of Cambridge to become a cleric.
And he was still interested in collecting things. Then one day a
letter came from a friend that would change his life forever. In 1831
he boarded the naval ship Beagle and would embark on a trip that would
change his life and would forever alter the way the world thought
about evolution.

This type of simple biography makes it easier for the reluctant
student to learn about a subject as the marvelous visual imagery can
be a great help. The book was adventurous and fun. It makes the
somewhat distant character, Charles Darwin, come alive for the reader.
Obviously this book is not for the creationist, but would make a
lovely addition to the home or classroom.

This is the sort of picture book that's really better suited for the older grades. It's NOT well-suited as a read-aloud, and it's written on a "6.8" reading level... that's right, suited for the end of the 6th grade.

It offers an ample view of Darwin's life and research. I've put it away for now, though, as my nieces simply aren't old enough and there's no room on their shelves for books they aren't reading!

Kathryn Lasky tells the story of Charles Darwin and his quest to learn more about the natural world. We learn of Darwin's childhood and his father's concern over his nonconformity. Charles did not do well in school and preferred to be with the bugs rather than the books. As readers, we follow his life aboard The Beagle, home to England and end with the publication of The Origin of Species. Lasky's tellings of specific anecdotes, along with the humorous pictures by Matthew Trueman that accompany the text, create an interesting story for the reader. A child can easily empathize with only eating raisins or Darwin allowing his own children "the run of the house." This book is perfect for introducing Charles Darwin and his adventures to young readers and beyond.

The information was nice. I only need to understand connection between "one beetle too many" and the story given in the book.

After reading this to my children before bedtime, my son said after I finished the book, "Why was he so lazy!" Ha! It cracked me up. The message is a lot too contrived for me. The author was trying (stretching) really hard to make him seem more extraordinary than he was. Good entertainment and good discussion.