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Rating: 
Summary: A Clearer Understanding
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it in about 2-3 hours. My sons - ages 8 and 6 have looked through this book with me and I read some of it to them. It was a bit long for them to want to read it in one sitting, so the best bet when using this book with kids is to spread it out over time and really discuss it. They liked the pictures and the illustrations/drawings of what the animals looked like long ago compared with today's related animals. This is a great book for children and explaining evolution to them. I really liked that it was a fictional book with characters and lots of "real life" happenings. I could totally imagine how this First Family lived. I highly recommend this book. It is very informative and educational!
Rating:
Summary: The first nonfiction storybook
Review: In many ways this book is uncategorizeable. This is the only fiction storybook of its kind -- with insets that include scientific data and images to support the details of the story. Notice that I keep saying the word "story." This book tells the story of "a day in the life of ..." a family from 3 million years ago. It is a children's book (filled with rich drawings) that is best read aloud by an adult or shared and discussed by a class in an elementary school, middle school, or perhaps even high school. One friend used this book in a variety of ways while home schooling his elementary school-aged child (discussing biology, family structure, and evolution, among other topics). "Journey from the Dawn" provides the ultimate multidisciplinary approach to learning: art, creative writing, and various areas of science all are included. Clearly, this book is meant to be examined, discussed, and enjoyed by people of any age. What should be noted is that the storyline is based on evolution and that some topics covered in the book may be considered too "mature" by some parents of smaller children. Specifically, the mother gives birth during the story and the mother's breasts are depicted in the drawings (of course, all of the characters look like primates ...). By stating these "warnings," I do NOT mean to detract from the book, merely to enable informed decisions about it. The authors present the material (text and drawings) in an engaging and inciteful manner, with a focus on providing information through vivid storytelling. The story is fun. The images are beautiful. The information is interesting. This book provides a glimpse into a world that in some areas still exists, a world where wild animals run free and volcanoes erupt. Lions, hyenas, hippos, and honey-engorged ants all appear in this book. Even if you only look at the pictures, or only read the text, or only skim through the inserts, this book is a joy to read. I am sorry that it is out of print. I wish that more people could enjoy it, as I do.
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