The Story of Life

The Story of Life
In this inspirational storybook written in rhyme, Annabelle asks "Why do we look, the way that we do? With hands and feet, in neat sets of two? What made my eyes? And what made my nose? And the shape of my body, from my head to my toes?" A wise owl answers with the amazing story of Darwinian evolution, and perhaps more importantly, what we can learn from it: to be kind to one another, as we are all related in the same family tree.
Buy NowEditorial Reviews
The Story of Life does an exemplary job of explaining the origins of life as we know it to very young minds. Heck, it could probably even teach a thing or two to their folks.”
– Bill Nye Film
“This delightful illustrated book can provoke wonder and questioning by young readers, who will find the story of life and humanity even more fascinating than fairy tales.”
– Lawrence Krauss, theoretical physicist, author of ‘A Universe From Nothing’ and ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told…So Far’
“Fun poem on the story of life!”
-Dr. Liz Freedman Fowler, paleontologist, Executive Director of St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site
“An important book every child should have. A charming lesson on the origins of life that extends beyond biology, teaching children an appreciation for the world we live in and the creatures we share it with. This book will make your amoeba flagellate.”
-Chris Cornelison, Ph.D., microbiologist, Georgia State University
“This awesome book explains evolution to children in a fun and informative way.”
-Skeptically Challenged
“This little book just nails it! Using a perfect balance of well-thought rhymes and elaborately educational illustrations to simplify complex biology into terms that even I can keep up with, I am convinced that future generations will find themselves wiser – thanks to one seemingly ‘little’ book.”
– Horus Gilgamesh, bestselling author of ‘Awkward Moments Children’s Bible’ series.
“The best children’s books are the ones that an adult not only enjoys reading to a child, but also teaches them something new. That’s the case with the evolution-themed Annabelle & Aiden: The Story of Life. As an avid collector of children’s books, this is the most scientifically thorough and visually satisfying example I’ve ever seen in an under-represented category.”
– The Friendly Atheist Blog
Explaining evolution to young children is tough. But this book takes on the difficult task of making Darwinian evolution interesting, understandable and engaging for young learners. The use of rhyme makes the book easy and fun to read, and makes a complex concept simple while retaining the fascination and joy of it. For my child who loves the sound of words, the poetry in this book has been a delightful way to pique his interest in scientific terms. His sibling, who cares only for things astronomical, hardly noticed the book’s smooth transition from outer space to earth’s early years, and remained interested throughout. Then there’s the artwork. From sweeping expanses of space, to a single fetus, Max Rambaldi’s illustrations are beautiful and lively. Each page includes interesting facts written in small text seamlessly integrated into the art. All of the illustrations are gorgeous, detailed and endlessly fascinating. Each time we read this book, someone notices something new. This marriage of scientific discovery and magical wonder is one of the strengths of the book because it makes science wondrous and exciting. The way the book balances this complex concept, appeals to multi-age audiences and revels in the joy of science has earned it a permanent spot on our bookshelf, and makes it a great gift for science minded families.
-Grounded Parents
An awesome series of books, where they go on journeys to discover the importance of critical thinking and fact over the appeal to mythology. I own the first book about evolution, and have purchased the second with the optional addition of having both my boys’ names in the book. The illustrations are amazing and thought provoking, and the writing inspires a joy and determination to discover the truth over convenient stories. Please help support science advocacy for children if you are able! It’s needed now more than ever.
-Modern Science Mama
“Guides children through the process of evolution with an enthusiastic and whimsical tone. A topic that may be seen as impenetrable for young minds, has been simplified with fun rhymes and pages packed with beautiful artwork. Annabelle and Aiden take the reader through time on an adventure full of facts learning about how they got here.”
-Skeptical Mama