What Darwin Saw: The Journey That Changed the World [Hardcover]

Rosalyn Schanzer (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

In 1831 a 22-year-old naturalist named Charles Darwin stepped aboard the HMS Beagle as a traveling companion of an equally youthful sea captain called Robert FitzRoy. The Beagle’s round-the-world surveying journey lasted five long years on the high seas. The young Darwin noticed everything, and proved himself an avid and detailed chronicler of daily events on the Beagle and onshore. What Darwin Saw takes young readers back to the pages of his journals as they travel alongside Darwin and read his lively and awestruck words about the wonders of the world.

We follow Darwin’s voyage, looking over his shoulder as he explores new lands, asks questions about the natural world, and draws groundbreaking conclusions. We walk in his footsteps, collecting animals and fossils, experiencing earthquakes and volcanoes, and meeting people of many cultures and languages. We examine his opinions on life in all its forms. We consider the thoughts of this remarkable scientist, who poured his observations and research into his expansive theories about life on Earth. In this exciting and educational account, Charles Darwin comes alive as an inspirational model for kids who think and question the world around them.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–6—Among the new picture books about Darwin being published for his bicentennial birthday, this one stands up well. On the cover, a wide-eyed, handsome Charley Darwin peers through lush greenery at the top, and an equally wide-eyed and handsome monkey ignores him at the bottom. Inside, Schanzer uses Darwin's own words, taken from his journals, books, and letters, in the speech balloons of her graphic depiction of the voyage of the Beagle. This is not a full biography, but begins with Darwin's acceptance of the offer to sail on the expedition and ends with the presentation of his theory of evolution in 1860. Bright, watercolor cartoons accurately portray landscapes and specimens while also creating a vivid sense of adventure. Schanzer's dedication is to her rabbi grandfather, who served as an advisor to Clarence Darrow at the Scopes trial, but in this book for young children, the controversies that surround Darwin's theory are not presented. Similar to Kathryn Lasky's One Beetle Too Many (Candlewick), this title pairs up nicely with Alice McGinty's Darwin (Houghton, both 2009) to give young readers a picture of the man and his adventures.—Ellen Heath, Easton Area Public Library, Easton, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

From Booklist

Fully illustrated with many colorful panels on each page, this large-format book introduces the life of Charles Darwin, beginning with his childhood and concentrating on his experiences during the voyage of the HMS Beagle, with some follow-up on his later life, especially the publication and response to the On the Origin of Species. Three different colors of print differentiate between quoted words (Darwin’s in brown; others’ in orange) and narrative text (in black). Though the pages have a “young” look, due in part to the naive style of the acrylic paintings, there’s plenty of information for older readers to absorb. The presentation ends with a double-page map showing the Beagle’s route and stops along the way. A source bibliography is appended, along with comments on the research, writing, and illustrations as well as a source note directing readers to an impressively meticulous Internet site where the quoted passages appear with changes (mainly abridgements) clearly indicated. Grades 3-6. --Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (January 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426303963
• ISBN-13: 978-1426303968
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 0.4 x 11.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #725,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Multi-leveled book, April 10, 2009

By 

M. Brennan - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Darwin Saw: The Journey That Changed the World (Hardcover)

I like books that can be read on many levels, that pack a lot of information into a manageable format, books in which new things can be found each time a reader returns to it. WHAT DARWIN SAW is one of those books. Not only is a great deal of information presented in an engaging format, but respect for both subject and reader are evident in the way the book was researched - both text and illustrations. I also appreciate the notes on just how the author/illustrator went about doing her research. It says a lot about how she approaches her work. (And there's a neat personal connection to Darwin which makes it all the more intriguing.) So, just in time for the anniversary of Darwin's 200th birthday - and to get a handle on his contributions for the next generation, this book is highly recommended!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Through Darwin's Eyes, April 11, 2009

By 

Simon Says (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Darwin Saw: The Journey That Changed the World (Hardcover)

This book has been a great addition, not only for my home library, but also my school library. I became interested in finding "easy to understand" books about Darwin for children, knowing that there would be a lot of renewed interest in Darwin with the 200 anniversary celebrations. I was incredibly impressed by this non-ficton picture book. Not only are the illustrations beautiful, it is filled with scientific details, snippets from Darwin's journals and letters, and notes of explaination. It is a book that can be read over and over again, finding new things everytime. Darwin becomes human in this book and a great role model. This is one of the most interesting books I have purchased for my school. It was wonderful watching the children pour over its pages and discuss all of Darwin's adventures. I definately recommend this informative book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating, exquisitely illustrated chronicle, February 13, 2009

By 

Beagle - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Darwin Saw: The Journey That Changed the World (Hardcover)

This book is an extremely well-researched and exquisitely illustrated account of Darwin's voyage; in short, it is intelligently designed. The writer-illustrator's colorful and minutely detailed drawings make it easy for the reader to climb aboard the Beagle and experience the voyage vicariously. As an adult nearing senior citizen status, I highly recommend this book to young readers, their parents, their grandparents, and science students of all ages.