One Beetle Too Many by Kathryn Lasky

The subtitle of this picture book biography is: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin. I learned new things in this delightful introduction to Darwin's life, like the fact that he was a very poor student.

My favourite anecdote came from late in his life, when in a letter to one of Darwin's adult sons, Darwin's wife Emma wrote: "Father has taken to training earthworms but does not make progress as they can neither see nor hear." The worms in my indoor compost box will not take part in any similar experiments, as I cannot fathom how I would even begin to train them, but the book is inspiring nonetheless.

For reading aloud or for independent readers in K through Grade 6. Children will be entertained by the lively text as well as the amusing artwork by Matthew Trueman.