Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--4--This title explains how life began in the ocean, with surprising information, descriptive details, engaging illustrations, and page turns that propel readers forward. Shreeve and Preston-Gannon offer an interactive reading experience. Before the title page, three animals are shown (a hippo, a dolphin, and a shark) and the text poses the question, "Which two of these animals are the closest relatives?" The answer "starts with the smallest creature the world has ever known and ends with the biggest." Throughout the book, the illustrations support and enhance the writing. A full-page illustration of an orange and red sky with a blazing yellow sun, an erupting volcano, and fiery hot water sets the scene for the beginning of life--the creation of single-celled microbes. Once the forms of life become more complex, the illustrations provide specific examples that support the information. When the text states, "higher oxygen levels provided fuel for life" and "all major types of animals began to take shape," the illustrations depict labeled figures of mollusks, arthropods, echinoderms, and more. As the events of the narrative chronicle life and death both in the ocean and on the land, readers can begin to understand the joyous, wondrous, frightening complexity of the creation of life. VERDICT A book to be read over and over for its intriguing story, illustrations, and captions. Pair it with Jonathan Tweet's Grandmother Fish for a clear introduction to the basics of evolution.--Myra Zarnowski, City Univ. of New York
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Review by Horn Book Review
This account of evolution through Earth's history centers on life in and near the oceans, beginning with the emergence of single-celled microbes and continuing through cycles of growth and extinction to the present day. Shreeve adeptly communicates high-level scientific concepts in just a few paragraphs per page as she highlights key events in the transition from sea to land, including the separate emergences of arthropods (millipedes, crustaceans, and insects) and, later, lobe-finned fish, whose land- and sea-based descendants are familiar to us as reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. Preston-Gannon's use of color in the friendly illustrations skillfully represents the climatic conditions in each major era: bright, multicolored spreads of tropical seas filled with animals represent periods of species growth and are interspersed with less hospitable, barren landscapes. The many animals portrayed within the spreads -- most with stylized black dots for eyes, which help readers to locate them -- are labeled with captions identifying the species and providing additional noteworthy facts. On the final pages, an inviting, colorful, and animal-dense illustration summarizes the entire timeline. Danielle J. Ford July/August 2021 p.141(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From a world of single-celled microbes to the age of mammals, 4 billion years of evolution. Shreeve anchors this chronicle of the development of life on Earth with an opening question: Among hippos, dolphins, and sharks, which two are the closest relatives? The book begins to answer with an image of an empty ocean, shown lit by a fiery orange sun and exploding volcano and a description of this alien world. Increasingly complex creatures fill subsequent pages. Along the bottom margin runs a general time framework beginning with the Archaeon Eon and moving quickly through time. In the Devonian and Carboniferous periods, separate spreads show land and water creatures, culminating in fish. Here, with words and pictures, the book explains how human body features developed from those of these prehistoric fish. After the Permian Extinction come dinosaurs and then, finally the Age of Mammals. A penultimate spread explains the surprising answer to that opening question, and the final spread serves as summary, showing the grand variety of life evolving over time "from out of the blue… / and back again." Along the way, the smooth, accessible text breaks from time to time with midsentence ellipses at page turns to keep readers moving. Other page turns answer questions previously raised. Preston-Gannon's cheerful, colorful illustrations show an astonishing variety of creatures, all with circular, white-outlined black eyes. The total package is simple and effective. A sweeping story thoughtfully summarized for the target age group. (selected sources, further reading, acknowledgments) (Informational picture book. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
