A BRIEF HISTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH

By: Clemence Dupont

Published: April 9, 2019

Publisher: Prestel Junior

Non-Fiction

This unique book begins at the very beginning of Earth, over 4 billion years ago. The opening picture shows the earth as an ocean of lava with volcanos all around. This age is aptly named the Hadean Age after Hades, the god of the underworld. Each age gets progressively cooler (including one that freezes everything) and eventually, signs of life begin to emerge on the pages.

The pages of the book are heavy quality and are very durable for kids. The pages are folded in accordion style so, at the end of the book, the pages can be opened up into a panoramic vision of all the ages or flipped over for a full timeline of all the ages.

I barely remember learning about the various ages in school and our kids said these time-periods were talked about very little. I found the early aquatic life and plants very interesting. As the pages begin to add more life, there is also more color on the pages. They become more vibrant and interesting. Each of the species on the pages is labeled and I think kids will find it interesting to find the early animals that resemble animals they are familiar with now.

I found this book very fascinating and I think older elementary-aged kids will as well. It’s a great educational book and one that could be useful in the classroom.

To purchase a copy of A BRIEF HISTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH, click the photo below:

Other books you might want to check out:

Amazing Nature Books from Prestel

Great Ports of the World


I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama’s regular Saturday feature, Kid Konnection. This is a place for bloggers to share posts related to children’s and YA books. You will find spotlights, reviews, and sometimes even giveaways by clicking HERE, every Saturday.


Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.

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