Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #368812 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 41 pages

Card catalog description
A simple explanation of the process of evolution, from the first appearance of "almost alive things" to the development of the millions of life forms that exist today.

Customer Reviews

Nice words, uninspiring pictures...
I should have read the other reviews--I was expecting beautiful full-color pictures like the cover art. Since the same illustrator actually did the cover, it seems like a very unfortunate editorial decision to not create a full color picture book! When I first received "The Tree of Life", I actually thought there had been some sort of printing error. The unfortunate blue-purple color reminds me of old mimeograph sheets. I chose a picture book rather than a text because I wanted inspiring art, and this just doesn't do it. Unfortunately, the sample doesn't show enough of the book to realize how monotonous (both figuratively and literally) the pages actually are.

a children's book to tell the story of evolution
"The Tree of Life: The Wonders Of Evolution" is a long awaited book. After countless titles that portray the beginning of life from a religious perspective, Ellen Jackson finally offers a scientific explanation. While the book is overall done well, it has issues. In terms of appropriateness, the reading level is mismatched with the illustrations. The illustrations are very primary while the diction, vocabulary and intellectual content is upper intermediate. Thus intermediate kids will yawn at the illustrations while the story will sail above the head of the younger ones. The reading level is so high that a glossary is noticeably absent. Also, the illustrations would have been more effective were they in color. The blue tinted black and white images don't assist the creators in their goal to communicate "the beauty and power of this great idea." Such issues suggest that the book was created on a shoe-string budget. "The Tree of Life" is worth having, especially considering the limited availability of like-minded titles. That written, it leaves room for a more polished alternative. The most elegant alternative may be Lauren Stringer's Our Family Tree. Unlike Jackson's book, this title features gorgeous color pictures and simple text that matches the illustrations.

Finally a secular origin of life book! Perhaps too abstract.
Because there are so few books on evolution out there that are really aimed at young children, I think it is definitely worth having, but I thought it had a few shortcomings. The first few pages really read like a book for toddlers, but then it gets more advanced (preschool to early elementary), this caused it to not really flow well for me, this is simply a stylistic matter and not really a problem with the content though. It starts at the beginning, not before the planet existed, but before there was any life on it. It goes about 18 pages getting through the first not quite alive thing that could make copies of itself, but sometimes, rarely, the copy wasn't exact. Then in one page jumps through the millions of years to when "many new kinds of aliveness appeared in the world". The rest of it is very VERY general, and simplified. Personally I found it oversimplified, and found the first half of the book to be out of balance with the second half. There are so few books on evolution out there aimed at young children. It is nice to have something. The cover of the book has a very colorful picture on it, but inside the illustrations are all purple and white. I think simpler, full color illustrations inside would be more suited to a book aimed at children this age. This is the author's note: "During a recent trip to the library, I noticed that, while there were many books retelling biblical creation stories, there were relatively few books on evolution for younger children. Those books that attempted to explain evolution did so in a way that, though scientifically accurate, conveyed none of the wonder and excitement of this concept. The Tree Of Life is my attempt to help young children understand the beauty and power of this great idea. Obviously, a book for young children on this topic must leave out some complex details (for instance, the role of sexual selection as one of the driving mechanisms of evolution). The illustrations, also, must necessarily be somewhat abstract and suggestive rather than literal. Nevertheless, great care has been taken to maintain accuracy throughout, although some of the ideas have been simplified for this audience." I guess I just feel that it was more abstract and simplified than I would have liked. It is a decent book to have around, particularly when used with other books. I didn't like it nearly as much as How Whales Walked Into the Sea by Faith McNulty, but she had a much easier job of only focusing on one animal, not introducing the idea of evolution from nothing alive to the myriad of life forms we have today. If you are an aspiring children's book author or illustrator, this is a subject that could really use a lot more attention. Start working!