There was an excellent op-ed in the Pioneer Press (free registration required; I've also posted a few excerpts) that is well worth reading. It points out that creationists, despite legal setbacks at higher levels, have won at the schoolhouse door by intimidating teachers into avoiding the subject of evolution altogether.
As another issue, the author is a writer of children's books, and I believe has written this one, Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story, which is intended for 4-8 year olds. That got me wondering...when was the last time anyone saw a book on evolution for young kids? The "Bible Stories for Kids" genre seems to have a lock on pediatrician's waiting rooms, I've noticed, and this looks like another niche in the PR/indoctrination front that the creationists hold.
12 Comments
Pete Dunkelberg · 1 June 2004
Better link for Our Family Tree:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0152017720/
and her other books:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author=Peters%2C%20Lisa%20Westberg/
Tricia from Ohio · 1 June 2004
actually, i think there is a "lucy" picture book somewhere... i know i got it out of the library for my son when he was younger...
Ed Darrell · 1 June 2004
The series of books on science, culture and history from the British publishing house, DK, has an excellent book for kids titled "evoltuion." It's one of the few places you can see photos of the herring gull and lesser black-backed gull together, for comparison.
Every school library should have a copy.
Mike Hopkins · 1 June 2004
Use this link for the book so that the National Center for Science Education gets a cut.
The NCSE does have a list of children's books. They don't list the above book. Maybe they should.
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cwiswell · 1 June 2004
The Amazon link is broken, try this one:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0152017720/
I didn't try the NCSE link
John Wilkins · 1 June 2004
DK (Dorling Kindersley) publish marvellous and above all, accurate science books. I strongly recommend every one of them I have seen. Americans can order this book online. For other countries, use the above link.
Mike Hopkins · 1 June 2004
Marcus Good · 1 June 2004
One of the curators at the museum I work in as an education facilitator (read: jack of all trades monkeyboy) is working on a new title for kids, about all the Palaeozoic life, and how, in loose terms, we evolved from slime. With much mention of methane and how it's made, and all the various slimy, oozy notions, it should be quite popular.
Ken Cope · 1 June 2004
Ray Troll! His illustrations make Planet Ocean an even better book, although it will be some time before my nearly three year old son can truly appreciate it.
PennyBright · 3 June 2004
'The Random House Book of How Nature Works' has a nice section on evolution. The title is slightly misleading though - it's a book about biology, not nature as a whole. My four year old is enjoying having it read to her, because it's very well illustrated.
Yesterday she spent all day telling everyone who would listen 'Bones are made of collagen'.
Penny
Conrad Knauer · 3 June 2004
There is a very nice book (I think its out of print, though one might be able to find it in a library) called "Evolution" by Joanna Cole, Illustrated by Aliki from a series called "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Books":
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0690045964/
CK
Ophelia Benson · 4 June 2004
"It points out that creationists, despite legal setbacks at higher levels, have won at the schoolhouse door by intimidating teachers into avoiding the subject of evolution altogether...The "Bible Stories for Kids" genre seems to have a lock on pediatrician's waiting rooms, I've noticed, and this looks like another niche in the PR/indoctrination front that the creationists hold."
See - this is one example of the kind of thing I have in mind when I write about religion. I get a lot of critical (not to say sometimes hostile) comment and email wondering why I can't just shut up, why I can't just accept that religion is off in its separate sphere not harming anyone and it consoles people and I can't cite any authority that can prove that religion isn't true so why don't I just etc. Well this kind of thing is one reason. Because if we all just shut up, then religion become the default position, and dentists' waiting rooms fill up with Bible books for children, and teachers are afraid to teach evolution. The claim that religion is off by itself somewhere not having any effect on anything is just...such...nonsense.