Galapagos George - Hardcover

George, Jean Craighead

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060287934 ISBN 13: 9780060287931

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2014

Synopsis

This is the story of the famous Lonesome George, a giant tortoise who was the last of his species, lived to be one hundred years old, and became known as the rarest creature in the world. His story gives us a glimpse of the amazing creatures inhabiting the ever-fascinating Galápagos Islands.

Renowned naturalist and bestselling author of the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the critically acclaimed Everglades Jean Craighead George once again introduces children to the wonders of the natural world in this incredible evolution story set in the Galápagos Islands. The back matter features key terms, a timeline, and further resources for research.

Supports the Common Core State Standards.

About this title

About the Authors

Jean Craighead George wrote over one hundred books for children and young adults. Her novel Julie of the Wolves won the Newbery Medal in 1973, and she received a 1960 Newbery Honor for My Side of the Mountain. Born into a family of famous naturalists, Jean spent her entire career writing books that celebrated the natural world.

Wendell Minor is nationally known for the artwork he has created for over sixty award-winning children’s books. His many collaborators include Jean Craighead George, Robert Burleigh, Buzz Aldrin, Tony Johnston, Nikki Grimes, Mary Higgins Clark, and, last but not least, his wife, Florence. He is also the author and illustrator of My Farm Friends.

From the Back Cover

This is the story of the famous Lonesome George, a giant tortoise who was the last of his species, lived to be one hundred years old, and became known as the rarest creature in the world. His story gives us a glimpse of the amazing creatures inhabiting the ever-fascinating Galápagos Islands.

Renowned naturalist and bestselling author of the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the critically acclaimed Everglades Jean Craighead George once again introduces children to the wonders of the natural world, in this incredible evolution story set in the Galápagos Islands.

Reviews

Gr 1–3—This is an account of the evolution of the Galápagos Tortoise, as well as the life and death of a famous Galápagos tortoise named Lonesome George. When Lonesome George died in 2012, it marked the extinction of a species thousands of years old and perfectly adapted to living on the Galápagos Islands. The life of the tortoise and the plants and animals of its habitat are illustrated in vivid, brilliant color paintings on every page. A map of the Galápagos Islands spreads across the end papers and includes an inset of South America, placing the islands in their geographical context. The author explains the adaptations that led to the unique features of the species: the tortoise's "neck was a little longer than those of the other tortoises on the island, and she could eat the leaves of trees when the ground plants were gone." When humans caused too many drastic changes, such as the inadvertent introduction of predators, many individual tortoises could not adapt, and drastic declines in numbers of survivors led to extinction. A half page of definitions for key terms such as "adaptation" and "evolution" is included, as is a time line of the Galápagos Islands.—Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Eye-catching, earth-toned watercolors fill the pages of this brief story of the Pinta Island saddleback tortoises—how they came to be millions of years ago and why the species became extinct in 2012 with the death of the 100-year-old Lonesome George. The narrative follows one of George’s ancestors as she (yes, she) is washed from the South American continent to one of the little islands of the Galápagos and then traces how her descendants evolved into the saddleback tortoises. With a mixture of panoramic views and detailed close-ups, Minor’s rich illustrations capture the drama of the journey and the subsequent existence on the island. The information in the text is minimal and could have used an author’s note to fill in some of the blanks. However, the back matter does include a list of key terms, a time line, and a page of helpful resources encouraging further research. A map of the Galápagos Islands in the front endpapers is particularly edifying. A good combination of precise writing and illuminating artwork. Grades K-2. --Randall Enos

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060287934
• ISBN 13: 9780060287931
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Minor Wendell
• Number of pages: 40