Sabena Radeva Books

A stunning new picture book bringing Darwin’s theories alive for young readers.

This is a book that you could read straight through like a story, or spend hours poring over like an encyclopaedia – or both! I can see Radeva’s interpretation of Darwin being hugely popular in class libraries, one of those rare books that all children can get something from and talk about.

The artwork is truly lovely, keeping the same style for both pictures and diagrams which makes it coherent overall. Some of the images are reminiscent of creation story illustrations and this opens up scope for dialogue about different pupils’ beliefs and understandings. Scattered throughout the book are illustrated quotes of Darwin’s original words – these provide a challenge for the more advanced reader, and could easily be used as a discussion topic in class or a focal point for a display.

Finally, the book includes not only a useful glossary but a section detailing how our modern knowledge of genetics expands and confirms Darwin’s work, along with a page on misconceptions. I must also mention the endpapers, so often overlooked – both front and back contain a wealth of insects for children to look out for and hone their skills as naturalists.