For his part, reviewer Ben Roberts found Animals Charles Darwin Saw to be clearly written if sometimes dry, punctuated with interesting anecdotes, and ornamented with colorful and interesting illustrations, although the map of the voyage of the Beagle should have been more prominent. Fourth-grade children to whom he read the book enjoyed the anecdotes but regarded Darwin unappealing as a person (“just some crazy dude”), and Roberts concluded that “Markle could ha

Reviewer Louise S. Mead recommends both of these books about Darwin’s life and work, aimed at children ages 6 to 9, both of which appealingly incorporate excerpts from Darwin’s journals. What Mr. Darwin Saw “is a fun picture book [with] ...

Reviewer Louise S. Mead offers a mixed if generally positive verdict on both of these books for children. The Big Picture Book is colorful and attractive, and its presentation of the evidence for evolution from the fossil record is appealing, but its treatment of deep time is not ideal and some of the information is out of date.

“This is a story about the interaction of science and religion, told from the perspective of a 10-year-old,” writes reviewer David C. Kopaska-Merkel. “Nevertheless, there is a lot of science in this book, both fact and theory”—particularly concerning trilobites. While the book is aimed at a young adult audience, “I enjoyed reading it myself. The characters are solid and the story well told.