Charles Darwin's Around-The-World Adventure

Letting her background in map illustration shine, Thermes (Little Author in the Big Woods) follows the travels of Charles Darwin while concisely explaining the influence they had on his growing understanding of the interconnectedness of nature. As Darwin sails from England to the South American coast and the Galapagos Islands, Thermes's neatly outlined pencil-and-watercolor images mix full-bleed scenes of bounteous wildlife with maps of the corresponding landscapes, labeling towns, geographic features, and local animals. A boyish enthusiasm is frequently apparent in Thermes's portraits of the young scientist at work, even when seasickness was getting the best of him ("The landscape was so different from anything Charles had known in England," she writes. "He was giddy"). Substantial back matter includes an in-depth look at Darwin's later life and research, as well as a spread of 18 additional facts tied to his journey. Ages 5-7. Agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Oct.)

K-Gr 3--Thermes traces the route of the 1831 voyage of the HMS Beagle in this picture book biography of Charles Darwin. The focus of the story is on Darwin's wonder and delight as he observed and collected animals, plants, stones, and fossils on his five-year journey around the world. The endpapers feature maps of the departure and return (details of which will be obscured by the book jacket covers used in many libraries). Friendly watercolor and pencil illustrations portray the creatures and objects that fascinated Darwin. However, the art does not always line up with the text. In one spread, a tiny Darwin is highlighted on the deck of the HMS Beagle, yet a page turn shows him under a tree in the rain forest. (A few pages later, we learn that he was seasick and "happy to stay on land and explore.") In another spread, a dramatic moment in which his small boat is almost capsized by a calving glacier is paired with a map of the crew's route around Tierra del Fuego. Young readers unfamiliar with the naturalist's work may be puzzled by the ending: "And what he wrote would change the world forever." Back matter has a brief explanation of evolution. VERDICT An additional purchase for elementary school science collections.--Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA