Book Tittle: Evolution for Smartypants
Author: Anushka Ravishankar
Illustrator: Pia Alize Hazarika
Publisher: Duckbill (Penguin Random House India)
Type: Hardcover
Pages: 40
Recommended Age: 5-8 years
My five year old is a curious child, and while I have tried my best to answer his questions, there are some topics I have avoided reading about, maybe because I thought they are too complicated for his age. One such topic is evolution. This is a topic I have always felt is way too complex to be explained to children, and even adults! However, the book Evolution for Smartypants proved me quite wrong.
The book first explains the concept of species and how small changes take place within species – some dogs have short ears while others have long ears. Then through a lovely story involving birds with different types of beaks on an island, the book explains the concepts of survival of the fittest and natural selection, in a way that my 5 year old can now explain evolution to everyone, even though he may still struggle with his abc’s!
As we read the book, I could see my child slowly understanding the concept and when he finally understood it, it was as if a light bulb had switched on within him – his eyes sparkled. He had now found the answer to one of his most frequently asked questions – why don’t penguins fly? He tried reasoning and understanding how evolution must have made penguins flightless.
From a parent’s perspective, I was just amazed at how the author was able to explain such a complex concept, so simply. It is difficult to decide what exactly my favourite part of the book was – the simplicity with which the complex concept was explained, the beautiful illustrations or Smartypants the Cat and the many jokes it cracks! If you are looking to introduce evolution to your child, look no further – this is the perfect book for little ones, and adults!
There are more books in this Smartypants series and I plan to explore them as well. You can read Achira’s review of GRAVITY here.
Rocket Science for Smartypants is another review copy we have received. Some inside pages can be found here in the fb group. It explains the parts of a space shuttle in very simple language, along with explaining what it takes to “escape” earth’s gravitational pull, and what makes satellites or shuttles orbit planets. It introduces some new concepts like centrifugal force, while making sure those concepts are explained in a fun and easy to understand way. Of course, the funny cat illustrations and quotes help too!
If you enjoyed this review and wish to become your own kind of Smartypants, you may buy the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
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