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readingthroughtheages's review against another edition
5.0
Jean Craighead George was a master at what she did. Her contributions to the world of children's literature will be missed.
This book, as of many of George's, detailed the conservation of an animal. Unfortunately, this time, she wrote about the last of a species, a giant tortoise that lived on the Galapagos Islands. The story begins with the turtles ancestors and George does an amazing job detailing the adaptations this species did in order to survive.
This book, as of many of George's, detailed the conservation of an animal. Unfortunately, this time, she wrote about the last of a species, a giant tortoise that lived on the Galapagos Islands. The story begins with the turtles ancestors and George does an amazing job detailing the adaptations this species did in order to survive.
heisereads's review against another edition
4.0
Gorgeous illustrations highlight a story about the history and evolution of a tortoise who was the last of his kind. Pair with Island.
michelle_neuwirth_gray9311's review against another edition
4.0
This lovely book was so interesting. The illustrations were just amazing. This would be a great read aloud with an elementary class studying turtles.
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
When Jean Craighead George passed away in 2012, she left young readers a phenomenal body of literature. George was a lover of nature and it always factored into her writing. One of the last books she wrote is a kind of genealogical history of the last of the giant saddleback tortoises, Lonesome George, who died in 2012.
Lonesome George's ancient ancestor was Giantess George, a desert dweller in South America until she was washed away in storms and floods to an island called San Cristóbal. She found a new home there and began to adapt to her surroundings.
Over the centuries, descendants of Giantess George found other islands to live on and began to adapt to their new homes. But, after millions of years of adapting, reproducing and surviving, mankind discovered their homes on the Galápagos Islands, including Charles Darwin.
Once man arrived, it didn't take long before the natural habitat of these giant tortoises began to disappear and slowly so did the different tortoises on the different islands, until only one, Lonesome George, was left. He was moved to the safety of a research station on Pinta Island, and the search for a mate began. But not mate could be found and when Lonesome George died, it was the end of Giantess George's family line.
Galápagos George is an interesting if simplistic book that uses the giant tortoises of the Galápagos Islands to demonstrate the concept of evolution (poorly defined in the Glossary), adaptation and survival and extinction. The language is not very scientific and will sound more like a story and less like a nonfiction picture book. Which is good, since it will probably appeal to young readers, who will no doubt, be captivated by it.
The watercolor paintings by Wendell Minor are absolutely exquisite. Close up, detailed portraits of the tortoises really showcases these beautiful creatures, and other more panoramic illustrations give a sense of time and place.
There is some nice back matter that includes a glossary, a timeline, resources and websites to visit. And be sure to check out the front endpapers for a map of the Galápagos Islands.
Galápagos George is a wonderful addition to any child's library, and who knows, it just may spark a life-long interest in nature similar to that of Jean Craighead George. A final note tells us the Lonesome George and Jean Craighead George passed away within weeks of each other. Sadly, the world certainly lost two very unique individuals who had interesting stories to tell us. But as Jean George reminds us at the end of Galápagos George: "there will always be 'new and unimaginable things that can happen.' And they do. All the time."
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from a friend
Lonesome George's ancient ancestor was Giantess George, a desert dweller in South America until she was washed away in storms and floods to an island called San Cristóbal. She found a new home there and began to adapt to her surroundings.
Over the centuries, descendants of Giantess George found other islands to live on and began to adapt to their new homes. But, after millions of years of adapting, reproducing and surviving, mankind discovered their homes on the Galápagos Islands, including Charles Darwin.
Once man arrived, it didn't take long before the natural habitat of these giant tortoises began to disappear and slowly so did the different tortoises on the different islands, until only one, Lonesome George, was left. He was moved to the safety of a research station on Pinta Island, and the search for a mate began. But not mate could be found and when Lonesome George died, it was the end of Giantess George's family line.
Galápagos George is an interesting if simplistic book that uses the giant tortoises of the Galápagos Islands to demonstrate the concept of evolution (poorly defined in the Glossary), adaptation and survival and extinction. The language is not very scientific and will sound more like a story and less like a nonfiction picture book. Which is good, since it will probably appeal to young readers, who will no doubt, be captivated by it.
The watercolor paintings by Wendell Minor are absolutely exquisite. Close up, detailed portraits of the tortoises really showcases these beautiful creatures, and other more panoramic illustrations give a sense of time and place.
There is some nice back matter that includes a glossary, a timeline, resources and websites to visit. And be sure to check out the front endpapers for a map of the Galápagos Islands.
Galápagos George is a wonderful addition to any child's library, and who knows, it just may spark a life-long interest in nature similar to that of Jean Craighead George. A final note tells us the Lonesome George and Jean Craighead George passed away within weeks of each other. Sadly, the world certainly lost two very unique individuals who had interesting stories to tell us. But as Jean George reminds us at the end of Galápagos George: "there will always be 'new and unimaginable things that can happen.' And they do. All the time."
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from a friend
jillcd's review against another edition
5.0
What a beautifully informative book. I loved everything about it especially the illustrations.
tashrow's review
5.0
A story of evolution and extinction, this picture book explores the incredible life of the famous Lonesome George a tortoise who was the last of his kind. The book begins by explaining how a million years ago a tortoise was driven from South America and carried to the island of San Cristobal near the equator. There she laid eggs, used her long neck to reach food, and passed on her genetics. Thousands of years later, all of the turtles looked different with long necks and shells that curved back to give their necks more room. When humans discovered the Galapagos Islands, they quickly decimated the turtle population which dwindled down to only a few thousand from the hundreds of thousands that had lived there. A hundred years later, the giant tortoise population had reduced even further, so that one lone turtle remained. He was moved to the Charles Darwin Research Station and protected but no other turtle of the species was ever found.
George creates a vivid story of the power of evolution in our world and the effects of humans on animal species. She steadily shows how weather forces and natural disasters impact animals as well, moving them from place to place and changing their habitats. As the animals change slowly, George keeps the text clear and factual, making for a book that moves quickly and is filled with fascinating scientific information.
Minor’s illustrations are lush and lovely. They are filled with the light of sun, bursting on the horizon in tropical colors. He also shows the barren landscape of the Galapagos clearly and the frank regard of a tortoise looking right at the reader. There is a sense of loneliness for much of the book both when the book is about the first tortoise and then later when there is one left. That connection between the two lone turtles is made clearly in the illustrations.
Fascinating, distressing and yet ultimately hopeful, this nonfiction picture book will work well in science classrooms as well as library collections. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
George creates a vivid story of the power of evolution in our world and the effects of humans on animal species. She steadily shows how weather forces and natural disasters impact animals as well, moving them from place to place and changing their habitats. As the animals change slowly, George keeps the text clear and factual, making for a book that moves quickly and is filled with fascinating scientific information.
Minor’s illustrations are lush and lovely. They are filled with the light of sun, bursting on the horizon in tropical colors. He also shows the barren landscape of the Galapagos clearly and the frank regard of a tortoise looking right at the reader. There is a sense of loneliness for much of the book both when the book is about the first tortoise and then later when there is one left. That connection between the two lone turtles is made clearly in the illustrations.
Fascinating, distressing and yet ultimately hopeful, this nonfiction picture book will work well in science classrooms as well as library collections. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
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