Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story

This one is a good starter for concept of how life developed. Used it to help explain for my 6-year old.

This picture book proved a great addition to our resource library. With a lack of emphasis on evolution at school, we were keen to introduce the building block concepts of natural science. The rich images and fairly straight forward style entranced our four and six year old, quickly making it a requested favourite. It has stimulated many questions from them by providing a good balance between visual interest and information about how life came about and evolved on earth.

I just adore this book. The content does not read like a science introduction at all, but as a family story. Kind of a big-nose-from-Aunt-Tilly story, but way broadened to include our ancestors. My 5 year old was almost as transfixed as I was by where we picked up parts of ourselves. What a wonderful discovery book which enforces oneness with all life. The illustrations are outrageous.

My daughter loves this book. She is 4 years old and is able to relate to the story and even points out parts that she has in common with the organisms in the book. The book is good at inspiring more questions about the evolutionary theory. Where the book leaves off I can fill in with what I have studied. Telling the story of evolution to very young children is not easy. It can be tricky to walk the line between being creative enough to captivate a child and still being scientifically accurate. The most easily understood part of this book is that it shows all life on this planet came from the same place, and for a 4 year old that is a good start. I would have purchased this book or one like when my 7 year old was a baby if I knew that someone was thoughtful and smart enough to write a children's book on evolution. The author, illustrator, and publisher of this book deserve an award for their wonderful efforts in helping very young children learn about evolution.

My 2 1/2 tear-old daughter loves this book! She is facinated by the bright, colorful pictures, and likes to talk about the different animals. This book serves as a starting point for discussions about what makes mammals unique, what makes vertebrates unique, and what's the difference between plants and animals. As a mother who's never given a thought to the notion of religious creation, this book is a wonderful introduction to the important question of the origin of life.

What a magnificent book for children to understand the relatedness of all things, and particularly their own connections to the living world. If we are to fully appreciate our long lineage, our place on our glorious planet, and care for other organisms that share it with us, this book is essential for both parent and child. Highly recommended!