Moth: An Evolution Story by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus
Moth: An Evolution Story
illustrated by Daniel Egnéus
Purchased for my school library with grant funding
Moth: An Evolution Story is a stunningly illustrated story of change and adaptation, light and dark, survival and hope. It is an excellent introduction to adaptation and natural selection, as well as the effects of humans on the natural world. With simple but powerful prose, Thomas tracks the evolution of peppered moth. Egnéus brings the moth to life on the page with Rorschach-like variations and occasional bursts of color. Once, the peppered moth's black and white camouflage allowed the lighter moths to blend in with the pale trees and survive, the darker moths easier to spot by birds and other prey.
As the Industrial Revolution spread soot and pollution across the world, the darker moths began to thrive and the lighter moths died out. Thomas writes, "The moths adapted to the changing world. But that's not how the story ends." As people decided to clean up the air, the lighter moths returned and today, "they are still telling their story." Back matter includes information on the evolution, natural selection, and adaptation in the life of the peppered moth.
More books by Isabel Thomas!
Also by Isabel Thomas:
Little Guides to Great Lives by Isabel Thomas
Amelia Earhart, Nelson Mandela, Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, Leonardo da Vinci
Anne Frank, Ferdinand Magellan, Stephen Hawking
