Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution by Steve Jenkins

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins, Steve. 2002. Life on earth: The story of evolution. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0618164766.

PLOT SUMMARY
For those who have pondered, “How old is the Earth?”, “How did life begin?” and “Why do many different types of animals exist and go extinct?”. This informational book answers these questions along with many others. The story of the history of life on earth leads up to the evolutionary theory that explains how and why life on earth developed. Charles Darwin’s travels and theories are explained in detail using scientific terms. A helpful, easy to read, 24 hour time-line is used to relate the history of the Earth and its events to each other.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The picture book quality is inviting to both older and younger readers and the chronological layout invites browsing of material at the reader’s leisure. A bibliography list and key to the illustrated animals placed at the back of the book confirm accuracy. Natural selection and mutation are illustrated with pictures to bring these abstract concepts to life.

Chronological dates are used to sequence the history of Earth and its many extinct and current species. By using the 24 hour timeline to put the history of Earth in perspective, Jenkins is creating a real life application understood by most children. The use of font type and size, white space, double page spreads and captions add to the attractiveness of the colorful cut and torn paper illustrations.

Jenkins style is evident in his clear use of appropriate vocabulary and his inviting presentation of the topic. His use of comparisons to help define scientific terms, also encourage critical thinking. For defining mutations, Jenkins uses a picture of fish and their offspring. Captions under the offspring help to define the advantages and disadvantages of mutations. The albino fish has a harmful mutation and the spotted fish has an advantageous mutation that helps to conceal it from predators.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred Review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “The author has taken on the formidable task of investigating the scientific theories … . His lucid text presents a terse chronology of life from its earliest beginnings as one-celled bacteria in the primordial ocean to the appearance of modern man.”

Review from HORNBOOK: “Jenkins presents a superb introduction to evolution for younger readers, in which he marvels at the amazing diversity of life on this planet; explains in detail concepts such as natural selection, variation, and mutation; and covers some historical context for the development of the theory.”

Review from BOOKLIST: “… this oversize picture book for older readers makes the overwhelming concept easier to grasp.”

Review from KIRKUS: "Because evolution is sometimes not taught in all schools, few good texts exist on it for this age. Factual and fascinating, this one belongs in every library.”

AWARDS
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year 2002

CONNECTIONS

Other books on Evolution:
Munro, Margaret. 2000. The Story of Life on Earth. Ill. by Karen Reczuch. ISBN 088899401X
Peters, Lisa Westberg et al. 2003. Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story. ISBN 0152017720

Activities

*Encourage students to follow Charles Darwin’s lead and become backyard naturalists. Create fun nature books for journal keeping. Decorate using art supplies to create fossils and imprints of leaves, shells and other nature items.
*Have students construct timelines of their lives and include future goals.
*Incorporate math skills by utilizing Jenkins chronological sequences to create and solve math questions.
*Compare Jenkins book with other books on evolution and Earth history. Create a comparison chart of several found facts.