Charlie and Kiwi: An Evolutionary Adventure

by New York Hall of Science, The, FableVision (Illustrator), Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)

Overview

To Charlie’s classmates, it seems like the kiwi bird got a raw deal: It barely has wings at all, so it can’t fly, and its long whiskers are more like a cat’s. How can such an unlucky bird even survive in the wild? But Charlie thinks the kiwi is cool, and with the help of his great-great-great-great-great-grandpa Charles Darwin, he travels back in time to learn how the kiwi evolved from a dinosaur-like creature to its present-day wingless state. Learning that “little changes in each generation can add up to BIG changes,” Charlie begins to understand that the kiwi bird’s flightless ways and catlike whiskers might be a bit odd, but they are exactly what has helped the species survive over thousands of years!

Based on an exhibit from the New York Hall of Science that is currently touring the country, this Darwinian adventure through time explains the hugely important principle of evolution in an accessible, kid-friendly style.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442440890
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	06/28/2011
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	48
File size:	28 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

FableVision is an award-winning children’s media developer and book packager founded by Peter and Paul Reynolds.

Peter H. Reynolds is the bestselling author and illustrator of I’m Here, The Dot, and Ish; and illustrator for the #1 New York Times bestseller Someday by Alison McGhee. He is also the illustrator of Going Places, Little Boy, Charlie and Kiwi, and the Judy Moody series. He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he is co-owner of the Blue Bunny bookstore. Visit Peter at PeterHReynolds.com.

The New York Hall of Science is New York's hands-on science and technology center. They promote science and technology as important tools that help us understand ourselves and the world we live in.

Visit the exhibit behind the book, Charlie & Kiwi's Evolutionary Adventure in person or online http://www.nysci.org/explore/ontour/charlieandkiwi.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 1–4—This story was written to supplement a traveling exhibit by the New York Hall of Science. Young Charlie is assigned to write a report about a bird. He selects the kiwi and sets out to learn why it has such unusual traits. The story becomes fantastic when a toy kiwi that inspired the project comes to life and invites Charlie on a time-travel adventure back to 1860. The boy meets his Great-Great-Great-Grandpa Charles Darwin, and together they travel back 30 million years to the time of the first kiwis. Darwin enlightens Charlie about his theory of natural selection by viewing the birds and their adaptations. Charlie and his grandpa then travel farther back to the days of the dinosaurs where they witness feathered reptiles. Together they arrive at the conclusion that the first birds were dinosaurs. Upon his return to the present, Charlie presents his conclusions to his classmates and Darwin has a new idea to ponder. This book would be a nice addition to units on evolution, and it has merit as a good reinforcement for the concepts introduced in the exhibition, but for general use, children might prefer to visit the exhibit online and hear the book narrated with animation. The digital-cartoon illustrations are sufficient to support the text but are not impressive.—Diane Antezzo, Ridgefield Library, CT

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