Darwinian Children's Books

This weekend, Bruce Barcott reviewed two new children's books about Charles Darwin, timed for the 150th anniversary of the Origin of Species. Deborah Heiligman's Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith argues that the couple's marriage played a key role in Darwin's scientific work--and, as Barcott makes clear, reveals the scientist's geeky side:

In the summer of 1838, two years after his round-the-world journey on the Beagle, the 29-year-old naturalist drew a line down the center of a sheet of paper. Topping one column, he wrote “Marry.” On the other, “Not Marry.” In the middle, he wrote “This is the Question.”

Among the benefits of marriage: companionship, children and “charms of music & female chit-chat.” The drawbacks: loss of freedom, adventure and time to pursue his scientific work (all that chit-chat). His famous conclusion? “Marry — Marry — Marry Q.E.D.” Quod erat demonstrandum: Thus it is proved.

I think there's a Friends episode about this (bonus geeky opportunity: mocking Chandler's laptop)!

The other book Barcott reviews is for younger kids: Sandra Markle's Animals Charles Darwin Saw, which is part of a series of explorer-themed picture books: Animals Christopher Columbus Saw, Animals Marco Polo Saw, and Animals Robert Scott Saw.

As Barcott notes, there are many, many Darwin books coming out this year, thanks to the anniversary. My favorite, which he doesn't mention here is Alice McGinty's biography, Darwin (Houghton Mifflin), which draws extensively on the scientist's letters and journal entries. It's pitched at 9-12 year olds, though I'm betting budding scientists a little under that age would also like it.

Do you have a favorite kid's book for the under-10 set on natural selection or on Darwin?