Author & Illustrator: Jason Chin
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Year: 2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Lawson McGhee
Awards: BCCB Recommended Title, National Science Teacher's Association-CBC, Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens
Summary: The different steps in the evolution of the islands are shown here through the use of roman numerals (I. Birth, II. Childhood, III. Adulthood, IV. Old Age, V.Epilogue)
Through a series of comic-strip like illustrations the birth of the volcanic islands is shown and animals come to live there. The plants and animals gradually colonize the entire group of islands, and then the animals begin to evolve because of the environment. After six million years, the main island disappears but there are still fifteen large islands in the group.
Classroom Ideas: evolution, Galapagos, volcanoes, growth of islands
Extras: the endpapers pictures the endemic species of the Galapagos Islands and a map of the islands, The Addendums are about the naturalist Charles Darwin & his observation of the Galapagos, more information about the islands, and the number of endemic species there. The author's note talks about Chin's reasons for writing about the Galapagos and what parts of the book are his own speculation.
