“One day, on tearing off some old bark, I saw two rare beetles, and seized one in each hand; then I saw a third and new kind, which I could not bear to lose, so that I popped the one which I held in my right hand into my mouth.”
At the age of 22 Charles Darwin clambered up the steps of HMS Beagle, armed with enough notepads to last him for several years and set sail on a journey of exploration that would change his life and how we view the entire world forever.
When Darwin Sailed the Sea is a brilliant biographical look at the life of Charles Darwin. Presented through chronological chapters combined with illustrations by Sam Kalda, this is the perfect introduction to a man who changed the beliefs of the world with his discoveries.
The book is written in biographical format and starts with Darwin as a young boy, telling of his failures at school and his own desire to study divinity, not science (something which I was completely unaware of!). Each chapter is short and complemented by illustrations, focusing on Darwin's education, his epic journey on HMS Beagle and of course his discoveries which made him famous.
Each chapter is explained simply but with enough detail to keep both children and adults entertained. I never knew that Darwin was part of a club at Cambridge University called the Glutton Club - it sounds fabulous! It's the right mix between facts you wanted and those that you never knew you needed to know.
I know that I will be using this with my Year 6 class next year as we explore our evolution topic and this will be great to help with some biographical writing and as a rare non-fiction read for pleasure.
A brilliantly illustrated and insightful look into Charles Darwin's life.
When Darwin Sailed the Sea is published on 1st July 2020. Thank you to Net Galley for my advanced e-copy.
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