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We have been starting to look at Charles Darwin this last week and I have been sharing some Darwin-themed books over on my Instagram feed. I thought I’d pull them together into a blog post as I know that my bookish posts are often amongst the most read.
For our study we have been looking mostly, so far, at the journey of HMS Beagle and what Darwin rather than the nature of Darwin’s theories; I’m saving that for a year or two when they’re a little older. Below is a range of books that we have enjoyed sharing.
Please note that two of these books were gifted to us, others I bought. All links are affiliate links and for that reason, this post is marked as an ‘ad’. You can read more about this at my disclosure policy here.
Books about Darwin the Man
The Little People Big Dreams series is my absolute favourite starting point for any study about significant people. I find they pack a lot of information in, as well as giving other books and texts to explore. The pitch of them is just right to cover all three of my children’s age ranges, (4, 7, and 8) and I can often see what part of the story has grabbed each of their imaginations, and start to frame the projects around that.
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We don’t have the Little Guide to Great Lives but I have had this from the library. This is a great series for older children and these books are an extended biography of the individuals concerned. They’re brilliantly illustrated and I find them an enjoyable read. There’s a lot of information included and Em, in particular, really enjoys this series of books.
Books about Darwin’s Journey Aboard HMS Beagle
These have been the bulk of our study so far and will continue to be as we continue to work on this project. We have the following three books that look at the journey of Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle.
When Darwin Sailed the Sea is probably aimed at older children and would suit those 8/9+ better I think. It’s a comprehensive book and is beautifully illustrated and covers an awful lot about HMS Beagle itself as well as Darwin’s time aboard it. I’ve found D deep in thought whilst reading this book and I have enjoyed reading it too; I’ve learned a fair bit myself! You can see this book (and inside images) on my Instagram page here.
What Mr. Darwin Saw is by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom and they’re a duo I love. Their books are always really well researched pitched well for the children and this is no exception. This book covers lots of ideas and explains what Darwin saw as he traveled the world.
This book covers a lot and is probably a good ‘all rounder’ for a Darwin topic for reception age children.
My final share in this section is my absolute fave – Charles Darwin’s Around The World Adventure. This book is brilliant. Everything about it is perfect from the bold bright illustrations to the use of maps and facts to the end pages and everything in between. I would really recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about the journey Darwin took as it’s absolutely fabulous.
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Books About Darwin’s Theories
A Darwin study of course needs to consider the theories that he wrote about and some books that do that include:
Darwin’s Tree of Life covers a lot of grounds presents complex ideas well for its young audience. It begins with the dawn is life and moves up to the arrival of homo sapiens. It’s very beautifully illustrated and covers a wide range of species types. We learn about the earliest arthropods and living fossils. The first animals with backbones and the first footsteps onto land. We found this a very interesting book.
On the Origin of Species of a HUGE book and one that I think we will turn to again and again over the coming years. There’s a LOT in here and it’s hard to do this book justice. This will suit an older audience as well as older primary age children and it helps to explain a lot of ideas. It covers the voyage as well as the things that Darwin was observing (including the finches) and is a great all-rounder that will suit a range of ages.
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Other Relevant Books
Two other interesting books to add to a Darwin study are:
Darwin’s Dragon is a chapter book that the children received as part of the Tales by Mail box we reviewed. They both really enjoyed this book and I plan to read it with them soon.
Darwin’s Rival is an interesting book that looks at Alfred Russel Wallace, the man who was developing similar ideas to Darwin at the same time. It’s a good companion book for the study to see that often ideas emerge at similar times as human enquiry takes place. It’s a very stylish book and I think most adults would learn a lot from this book too.
What an interesting topic for the children. The books look fab.