On the Origin of Species

I am not made of stone or shiny paint. I am made of paper and ink. My pages are soft and they whisper when you turn them. Inside me, you can find drawings of colorful birds with funny beaks. You can see tiny little beetles and big, slow tortoises. I hold a very special idea. The idea is that every living thing is part of one giant, happy family. I am a very important book. My name is On the Origin of Species.

A kind man with a big heart made me. His name was Charles Darwin. A long, long time ago, in 1831, he went on a big adventure. He sailed on a big ship called the HMS Beagle. For five whole years, he traveled all around the big, wide world. He looked at so many amazing animals and pretty plants. He saw birds with beaks of all different shapes. He even saw lizards that could swim in the ocean. Charles wrote down everything he saw and all his big ideas. He put them all onto my pages just for you. I was finally ready for everyone to read on a chilly day, November 24th, 1859.

When people first read my pages, they learned a wonderful new idea. I showed them that all living things can change just a little bit over a very, very long time. This helps them live happily in their homes. I showed everyone that every creature is connected, like a big family tree. Today, I still help people learn about the amazing story of life on our world. I remind everyone to keep asking questions and to look at the wonderful world all around us.