Grandmother Fish: A Child's First Book of Evolution
Reviews (197)
but I really like this book
I'm sure I'm a bit biased as an evolutionary biologist here, but I really like this book. I especially like that the book can easily be geared toward multiple ages. The main story is great from any age, but as the child gets older, there is more depth added with the evolutionary trees and example species included. The emphasis on shared features and use of familiar relationship nomenclature (eg grandmother) really helps emphasize the shared relationships we have with these creatures.
An absolute must
It's incredibly important to raise children with scientific literacy and an understanding on how the natural world actually works. A joy for any secular parent and an absolute necessity for everyone else. Make facts louder than opinions. Evolution is a fact. Teach your children reality.
Love this book
I think this book makes evolution very accessible to children and really opens your mind to a new level of imagination going back so many generations that you can't even calculate anymore. How many generations are in a million years? And how many millions of years of evolution have passed since our ancestors were fish? I love these questions. I grew up both religious and very open to scientific learning. This is a great twist on the story of origins because rather than going back to a purported Grandma Eve, we get to keep going back to Grandma Fish. It helps me feel so connected to the whole natural world, all my cousins of all shapes and sizes climbing trees and dwelling in deserts and forests, not just apes, but dogs and cats and squirrels and elephants and horses and rabbits, etc. I love the emotional bonding and compassion we can experience with all living beings. I have almost always had pets all of my more than 50 years. I hope this book inspires children to feel a deeper kinship and responsibility toward everything living and sharing our world with us.
So.many.questions.
I've had to read this book literally every night for bedtime for the past three months. My kids have it memorized. They insist on trying out every single skill that is learned. They're especially fond of the grabbing and cuddling skills. The tree of life diagram in back a nice touch. We've had many discussions at this point about why Neanderthals went extinct, what is a Bonobo, can mushrooms think? Thank God for google. I do not recommend this book if you don't have access to either google, a public library, or a decent set of encyclopedias. Good luck.
Best kids book on this subject by far!
WE LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! We have a digital copy of this book (that's how I knew how awesome it was) and just had to have a physical copy as well! Purchased for our 3yo and read at bedtime, this book is easy and fun for her to follow and recite/read along to. She has so much fun acting out the different characteristics of each grandmother, (wiggle, crawl, squeak, etc..) and the concept of grandmothers in general is easy for her to understand. It presents the idea of commonality in a beautifully simple way. A wonderful introduction for a spongy young mind. The book itself is well made with sturdy pages and has beautiful artwork, especially of grandmother fish herself. If you only buy one book on this subject for your child, it should be this one!
A family favorite!
Very simple explanation of Evolution that's discussed in our family as we also study and love dinosaurs, sharks, and all manner of creatures! We got this when our son was 4. At 6 he has really gotten into the last page with the family tree! He's fascinated with which creatures are closer related and why.
Well done!
I love this book so much! It’s so beautifully written and illustrated and I love the message even more. This book is perfect for the younger reader (or parent reader) to help understand what evolution is really about. Very well done!
Cute!
Adorable book to add to our secular homeschool curriculum. I wish I had bought it for my daughter when she was younger. It would of been better for her age 4-5 instead of 7. She had a sorta "meh I know this already" attitude but did enjoy the pictures and how cute everything is. Hoping to use it later on with evolution worksheets.
A great book for any child or parent!
I can't imagine how my life would be different if I had this book growing up. Everyone should come up in the world understand the most beautiful thing that science has yet uncovered...that all life is connected! Far from being a controversial theory, evolution is the one underlying principle in biology. This book makes the basic tenets of evolution clear for all audiences, and is a beautifully illustrated and charming book. I'm giving it to all my nieces and nephews!
Great and simple
I bought this for my 5 year old. Very simple to read. Felt like this is a must for 3-4 year olds
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