The attractive, contemporary illustrations have kid appeal. I give it four stars, rather than five, because in places it's rather jumpy: clarity of expression and narrative got sacrificed for style and format choices. (For instance, in the mini-chapter "The Voyage of a Lifetime Begins", it isn't until the second sentence of the second paragraph that the text explains what is actually under discussion!) But I found it works quite well as a "read aloud", when I could add a transition or a bit of context beyond the text. As for instance, when the text discusses Darwin's abhorrence of slavery, it's a good point to add a mention that the idea of common descent (common ancestry for all humans) was congruent with the abolitionist beliefs in his family.