Charlie and Kiwi: An Evolutionary Adventure

by Eileen Campbell, The New York Hall of Science, FableVision (Illustrator)

An easy to understand scientific adventure with Charlie and Kiwi who take you on a journey through time and through a huge scientific principle. The story of evolution!

To Charlie’s classmates, it seems like the kiwi bird got a raw 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.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Evolution, Animals, Science Fiction Fantasy, Birds, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent children's book about evolution. Charlie is related to Charles Darwin, and he has to explain to his class how Kiwi birds came to be. It's a neat story.

[Jaclyn Kruljac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie and Kiwi is a book about Charlie who has to give a presentation to his classmates about birds. Charlie didnt want a bird that others would pick, he wanted something different. Charlie chose to write about his Kiwi bird that his parents had brought for him from New Zealand. When giving his presentation to the class, Charlie's classmates thought the whiskered and wingless bird was strange. Charlie then set off to find out more information about the Kiwi. Charlie travels back in time to meet his great great great great great grandfather Charles Darwin. Together they travel back in time to explore how the Kiwi bird evolved.

This book would be good to use as a read aloud for grades 3-5. I think this would be appropriate for a science lesson to teach students about Darwin and evolution in a fun and engaging story. I listened to this book in audio format.

[Kalynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so happy that a Pinterest search brought this title to my attention! Peter H. Reynolds (amazing author and illustrator) and the New York Hall of Science collaborated on this evolutionary adventure. I have never come across an evolution-based picture book, so I am so grateful for this. I wish I would have had it when I taught middle school science. It would have been a great compliment to our learning, particularly for the narrative types (like myself).

[Piyushi Dhir · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple, easy and fun way for kids to understand evolution and Darwin's theory.

[Jessica]

Best kids book I’ve found so far for explaining the theory of natural selection.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parts of this book’s information are non-fiction, but it’s a fictional account of how a kiwi is really a bird, starting millions of years ago with dinosaurs who had feathers. A little boy has to write a report about a bird, his parents just brought him a stuffed kiwi from New Zealand, so that’s how the adventure began! Through a small delay in the report for class, and a few trips in a time travel machine, part of them with a “five-great” grandfather who was a bird expert, Charlie found his answers, actually more than one. He saw the process of adaptation through the years, and finally figured out how the kiwi, a bird, became a long-beaked, furry, ground bird who hunted insects at night. The book’s explanation is clear, and illustrations are simple and entertaining. If you are beginning to teach the concept of evolution, this is a terrific book.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Charlie has to do a research project on a bird, but he doesn't want to focus on the same old birds everybody in his class will pick, so he sets his sights on the kiwi.

Through time-travel and adventures with Charles Darwin (a distant relative) Charlie learns how birds evolved and why kiwis look so different from what most people think of when they consider birds.

The theory of evolution is worked into the story quite well and the questions Charlie asks are believeable kid questions. The only thing that irked me was that it felt like this book took a long time to launch. It felt like Charlie was asking questions for pages and pages before Charles Darwin really dug into the topic.

Good for classroom use for grades 5-8.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie has to write a report for school about a bird. He doesn't know what bird to choose; he wants to do something different than everyone else. He decides to do his report on the kiwi. When he stood up in front of class, they asked him all sorts of questions about how a kiwi could be a bird when it didn't have wings and couldn't fly. He went home to do more research. Incredibly, he ends up traveling in a time machine where he meets his great(5)-grandfather, a bird expert. Together they explore the evolutionary adaptations that made the kiwi the creature that it is today.

An engaging look at the theory of evolution and how life forms are forced to adapt.

[Kate Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly stumbled upon this book. It is entertaining and informational. The book looks at Charlie's report on an interesting bird, the kiwi. When students question Charlie's choice he goes back in time to his great grandfather Charles Darwin and together they research the kiwi.

The book is great for budding scientists, but also kids who might not be interested in science. Filled with information, you can tell that the New York Hall of Science invested in this story to bring the science of evolution in an entertaining way.

A must for teachers, librarians, and parents.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, with its modern sensibilities (breezy drawings, amusing geezer interjections) and though it's obviously a book with a message, it's also a fun and interesting one. I'm not sure where it's aimed, but I'd say K-3 is the right audience. Owen would have loved this book with his whole heart, especially when they time travel to the age of the dinosaurs. 3.5, but it will never replace my favorite evolution book of all, Virginia Lee Burton's magnificent Life Story.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie chooses to do his science report on kiwis, small flightless birds from New Zealand. He travels back in time to meet his great-x5-grandfather, Charles, to figure out how a kiwi's adaptations help it survive. The travel even further back to find out how dinosaurs became birds.

A good choice for clarifying ideas about adaptations and evolution. Recommended for grades 3 - 5. The style and voice are a bit simple for middle school students.

[VBergen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Age: from 5 years old

The book is beautiful and it is a good introduction to evolution.
The bad of the book:
It seems missing a scene: the kiwi was tapping on the photo, then she popped into her box, Charlie grabbed the box and on the next page they are time traveling ⊙_⊙
The kiwi hides, it doesn't fly so the eagle can't catch, but then the story doesn't explain why the only birds over there are not just eagles and kiwis ⊙︿⊙

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, even if the dialogue is a bit clunky in places. Charlie's questions are all great, though - definitely questions most kids would have as they're trying to wrap their brains around evolution and natural selection.
I think the book did a great job of explaining the concept without being either condescending or too advanced, and the illustrations are fun enough to keep the kiddos interested.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does an excellent job of explaining the concept of evolution in a kid friendly way, set in the framework of a story of time travel by one of Darwin's great grandchildren. Five stars for the clearest explanation of evolution in a children's book I've ever read. Best suited for ages 6 and up.

[Cya]

Science book about birds and the Kiwi bird in particular. Also good for showing how to gather information for a report. Shows evolution of birds and Charlie runs into some historic figures along the way. Can use in a 4th-5th grade class in evolution or natural selection lesson.

[Kristin Fletcher-spear · Rating 3 out of 5]

reviewed for library media connections.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelllent introduction into how science works and it also clearly explains the process of evolution.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy)]

This book focuses on the evolution of birds - the kiwi specifically. The text was interesting.

[Katharine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informational, easy to understand, prompted further research about kiwis, all in all a good book. The only thing I would say is that it wasn't great as a read aloud, the language felt clunky to me.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Offers a clear, simple explanation of the evolution of dinosaurs to birds. And there is a little magical time travel thrown in for fun. My five-year-old and eight-year-old both enjoyed it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://librarianosnark.blogspot.com/2...

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit of science fiction, reality, and fantasy mix in this story presentation of evolution. Wonder if the students will infer that Grandpa Charles could be Charles Darwin?

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent introduction into the theory of evolution. We love it and it is requested multiple times a day.

[Hannah]

This is awesome. Really good explanation of evolution, and also how great is it that Charles Darwin's great great grandson is black? Really great, that's how much.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting approach to introducing evolution, specifically how the kiwi--and all birds--evolved.

[Carl Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie, as often happens with kids his age, gets backed into a corner with his report on the kiwi. Why is it a bird? How did it come to be this way. His further research leads to time travel with his five-times-great grandfather is an adventure ensues that is a most excellent explanation of evolutionary theory. Well-written and great illustrations—written as a companion to an exhibit at the New York Hall of Science and directions to an animated version of the story. Good stuff, and highly recommended for 4-8 year olds.