This book was wonderful. The information was interesting and the illustrations were beautiful. I enjoyed learning more about Darwin's path through life.

This book is lovely, well written and well illustrated. It’s a little more in depth than many that follow a similar style, which was a good thing. Ks2 children would love this. It contains a lot of information, in a concise way that would make it ideal as a topic book.

Well written biography of Charles Darwin's time on the Beagle, where he was horribly seasick. It doesn't go into depth about the five year voyage, but it does touch on the things he saw and the animal specimens he collected.

Wonderful introduction to this amazing man. I didn't know, for example, that he had to pay his own way, on the voyage, nor how long it took. He had trained to be first a doctor, then a minister, though he was never really interested in either, but coming from a well to do family, that is what you are supposed to do.

Though this book doesn't go into great detail, it give the essence of why this voyage was so important, and what sort of things he saw that helped him develop his theory of evolution. Enjoyable read. Recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

What if Darwin didnt mind the sight of blood during an operation. Who would be our next Darwin?
Very well doen illustrations, filling the page with electricity.
sympiesometer - a barometer that travels well on the sea.

How many iron guns can be loaded on a ship without affecting the captain's compass?
Clinometer is used to measure angle of elevation.
Funny that Darwin tried to lasso his own horse.

When I learned of the squirrels of North side of grand Canyon being different from the south side, I can imagine how Darwin would have felt when he was told that the tortoises on the different islands of Galapagos could be identified by their shell patterns. Finches study is a deep experience. Bird watchers will love this book.

Two days of travellign on train made the sound ring in my ears for a couple of days later. I cannot imagine how surreal the experience of being on the Beagle for 5 years while being bombarded with all unbelievable flora and fauna would have been. 1500 is a lot of speicmen to analyse. He did a smart thing by taking help from all quarters.

The illustrations in the book deserve a special mention. There's art as well as the sense of discovery and love for nature and adventure.

Charles Darwin, the man who changed the face of science and inheritance for once and last.
This book is considered as a biography of Charles Darwin and in my opinion it could be an introduction to Darwin's world and theory of natural selection.
I liked the illustrations and the writing style and I really recommend it to children, adolescents, adults and anyone wants to know about the career of a great man.

Clearly written, informative text and large, supportive illustrations make this story of Darwin’s travels on the Beagle and his discoveries an important book to read. The author takes time to explain Darwin’s findings and the significance of his work on evolution, The book even reaches beyond the focus on Darwin’s story to include a discussion of the people who befriended him and supported his work. The inviting format, engaging style, and the significance of the material make this book a winner.

This is a beautiful book, both in terms of content and illustrations and perfect for children who are discovering history, science and those men and women who shaped the modern world. Even for me, as an adult reader, this book was exciting, as I was able to learn a bit more about Charles Darwin, the man who introduced the concept of evolution and natural selection.

Most of us probably learned, during our high-school classes, who Darwin was and how his theory sparked debate in the early 19th century. He was the man who presented the theory of evolution, which meant that species –animals, plants and humans– have evolved during millions of years to adapt to the environment and survive. This challenged the belief that everything was created by God and no change could have been possible as all was created “according to his image and likeness”. I can only imagine the great criticism Darwin drew in his time and the great scandal he caused and still does: even when I was a child, I recall my mother, a religious woman, claiming that it was blasphemy to suggest that humans could be related to apes. But that is another story.

The thing is, perhaps what most of us know about Darwin is what we learned in school as young children and teenagers, and When Darwin Sailed the Sea is a great book that should be available for younger audiences to discover in more depth Darwin’s story and achievements. The book is very easy to read but still contains relevant information on the scientist’s life, his travels and his findings. For example, it points out that Darwin was not an outstanding student –he first tried to study medicine, then religious studies– but he failed. He was most interested in seeing the world outside and exploring nature and the environment and there was where he found his true passion. I think this message is quite important in our times –we do not have to fit certain patterns or find our way as most people do: we should listen to our interests and passions and follow where they take us.

Overall, this book is very exciting to read as it takes us with Darwin through his life, travels and discoveries and it keeps the interest of the reader. Also, the illustrations are wonderful and beautiful and truly contribute to the reading experience –it was lovely to see Darwin on his travels on the Beagle, or writing down his diary, or standing on the middle of one of the islands of the Galapagos wondering about the strange and new nature he discovered whenever he turned around.

I hope this book can soon become available for Spanish-speaking audiences as well, as it is one of those books to treasure and contributes greatly to learning among younger audiences.

A very good book for older primary schoolchildren about the life, times and works of Charles Darwin. It succeeds in being a very good biography, and of course advocate for evolution, which still to this day makes it a gallingly important book for some people to be shown. I'm not sure some of the artworks were fully necessary, and the pull-quotes that allegedly make the pages look more engaging are pointless, in that you can never tell exactly when to read them in a way that doesn't spoil the flow of the main text. Still, the story of the Beagle's voyages is very nicely presented, Darwin's ideas clearly shown (Wallace gets to carry his coffin, and a small slot in an appendix of notable people in Darwin's sphere), and the important lesson about the truth of the matter is irrefutable.

This was a great book to explain the biography of Charles Darwin.. The Illustrations are wonderful and the history of the Beagle, this ship Darwin sailed on was fascinating. I have not read about the Beagle before. I have read On The Origin of Species before.. This book does not shy away from the controversies of Darwin's beliefs and it explains the theory of evolution along with creationism very well. This is an excellent first biography for a child to learn about a scientist that has influenced so much of our modern world.

A breezy but very informative read. Much less dry than some other children's titles that are out there about Darwin. Excellent illustrations too!

A wonderful little book on Darwin. A very quick read. Darwin's upbringing, his search for his path in life, his voyage on the Beagle, his discoveries, his theories, his books, and his later life. All done very succinctly, and in an easy to read and understand manner that is very enjoyable. Wonderful illustrations. Perfect for middle school to high school readers. Makes me want to go back and reread "Voyage of the Beagle". Bravo!

When Darwin Sailed the Sea by David Long is an entertaining biography of Charles Darwin for elementary school aged children, with lovely illustrations by Sam Kalda. The contributions of Charles Darwin to science are so important that, as the author says, “Scientists around the world still believe that Darwin’s theory of natural selection is one of the greatest ideas that the human mind has ever produced.” Long has given us a biography that also serves as a motivational read for young students everywhere, with a window into the history of scientific thought and processes.

This book presents the life of Charles Darwin in an engaging narrative format that follows the renowned scientist throughout his life, with a particular focus on his groundbreaking five year voyage on the HMS Beagle. This book is not only a wonderful biography, but also can be used in science classes to illustrate the important role of observation in scientific inquiry, how important questioning current thinking is and the evolution of the scientific method. The explanations of Darwin’s theory of evolution, and survival of the fittest are very accessible for elementary students. The historical controversy is addressed in an age appropriate manner. I particularly enjoyed the author including a chapter on the people in Darwin’s life who helped influence and support his work. The glossary is also a welcome addition for students, as is the beautifully illustrated timeline. There are enough extras thrown in for adults to say, “That’s cool, I didn’t know that!” Overall a fantastic addition to a class library and a fitting tribute to the 200th anniversary of the launch of the HMS Beagle.

##WhenDarwinSailedtheSea #NetGalley #science #CharlesDarwin #HMSBeagle #TheoryofEvolution

When Darwin Sailed the Sea: Uncover how Darwin's Revolutionary Ideas Helped Change the World, written by David Long and illustrated by Sam Kalda, is currently scheduled for release on July 1 2020. At the age of 22 Charles Darwin clambered up the steps of HMS Beagle, armed with enough notepads to last him for several years and set sail on a journey of exploration that would change his life and how we view the entire world forever. This book tells the story of Charles Darwin, and shows how his revolutionary research changed the world forever. From his fascination with the natural world which began at an early age, his love of collecting new specimens and keen eye for observation, to his groundbreaking theory of evolution, uncover the incredible life of Charles Darwin with this illustrated, narrative non-fiction book.

When Darwin Sailed the Sea is a book that offers readers a look at Darwin as a person and a scientist. The book does a good job of explaining his interests, determination, and how he collaborated with a variety of people. The information was accessible and interesting.I found the accompanying artwork to be lovely to look at while also adding meaning and detail to the text as appropriate. I learned quite a bit about Darwin, and liked the narrative tone that I think works very well in this format. I will admit that I was not expecting it to be as text heavy as it was, but the style and substance balanced that out. I am hoping some young people reading this will see how hard Darwin worked to follow his interests and be inspired. I really liked the timeline, further information on the people Darwin worked with, and additional information included in the endpages. Good use of this section always makes me happy- and this book delivered.

When Darwin Sailed the Sea would be a great addition to school, classroom, and public libraries. Some readers will want it for their personal collections as well.

An excellent nonfiction title that will entertain readers and educate them on very important and timely historical events and how they influence present scientific inquiry.

I really enjoyed this read and so did my sons. Charles Darwin is such an important character in history, one that I touch on very regularly in my classroom so I know I will refer back to this book very regularly in my teaching next year. While we don't learn too much about Charles Darwins years at sea during the voyage we do learn about the new and interesting creatures that he saw and the specimens that he collected. It explored Darwins theory of evolution and provides absolutely beautiful illustrations which contribute enormously to the book. I really enjoyed this and I know I will re-read many times in the years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book

This is a great children’s book chronicling Darwin’s early school years, his time at sea and in the Galápagos.

Definitely informative even for us adults !

This is a wonderful book for children who are interested in scientific discovery or for a child that you would like to interest in the natural world.  It tells the story of Charles Darwin in a beautifully illustrated title that was written to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the voyage of the Beagle.  Adults can learn quite a bit from spending time with this title as well.  I know that I did.


Readers discover that Charles lost his mother when he was young, that he did not always like school and that he did not conform to his father's expectation that he would follow as the third generation doctor in the family.  Rather he became intrigued with the world of nature.  This biography serves to humanize Darwin, a figure who is larger than life in the history of scientific discovery. 


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

When Darwin Sailed the Sea is an illustrated non-fiction book for older children by David Long. It follows Charles Darwin's early life and his time at University before his voyage of discovery. Captain Robert Fitzroy an expert sailor, surveyor and keen meteorologist needed a companion and someone who was able to put together accurate reports of countries they visited. He invited Darwin to join him aboard the HMS Beagle for its second voyage. The Beagle set sail on the 27th of December 1831 and they spent 5 years at sea discovering many new species of flora and fauna from different islands and continents. Darwin returned as an experienced naturalist and went on to publish his fascinating findings. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital copy.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is a fantastic biography in a child friendly format for children aged 9-14 years of age about Charles Darwin and how he became famous, the ups and downs of the start of his discovery path and what lead him onto this path and then where he went, what he discovered and how he discovered natural selection.

This book will be a fabulous addition to my classroom at school and the year 6 children will greatly benefit from this book when we do natural selection next year.

This illustration nonfiction book introduces young readers to Charles Darwin and his pioneering scientific discoveries around evolution. The book is described as narrative nonfiction, but there isn't a lot of showing through scenes or use of narrative detail. Instead, it's mostly tells readers in broad strokes about Darwin's academic career and how he wound up on the HMS Beagle. I think the book really gets interesting after he starts his voyage on the Beagle, so I would have liked a little less exposition up to that point. The author also explains how Darwin pieced together an understanding of evolution and explores the controversy around it, both in a succinct, kid-friendly way. I think this will appeal to teachers and especially kids who are interested in zoology or science in general.

(I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

4 stars

This book was very over the stop for me in terms of how you get to appreciate mother nature.
Darwin sails around the world to discover new finding to increase his understanding on insects and other animals.

There is one part of the book that the gross me out was the when he ate ostrich meat and insects meat.

A fascinating children's book about the life of Charles Darwin. Beautiful illustrations are contained throughout the text. I really liked learning about his unconventional life, interests, and impact. Darwin found studying and class boring, but excelled while in the field. Children with an interest in the natural world will find this fascinating! There is a lot of text, so this would probably be good for middle elementary school aged readers who are already reading chapter books. This would also be a great book to read at bedtime.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions for providing this ARC.

I guess I take a lot of visual cues to figure out who a book is for. I'm guessing this is middle grade. It's really interesting and I learned a lot from it. It does address religion-- talking about how Darwin trained to be a priest and how his views disagreed with the way Creationism was believed at the time (and still by some now). (Maybe I'm off base, but from my own religious life, it seems that the book shows Creationism as much more rigid than most of the people I grew up in religion with.) I think it is very respectfully done and shows religious thought, scientific thought, and people's hesitations with each belief on both sides.

I liked the illustrations and the extra information in the back matter.