Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    One Beetle Too Many
    One Beetle Too Many
    One Beetle Too Many
    Audiobook39 minutes

    One Beetle Too Many

    Written by Kathryn Lasky

    Narrated by Stafford Clark-Price

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A lively exploration into the life of Charles Darwin, One Beetle Too Many recounts both Darwin's childhood and his time on the Beagle as a naturalist. This adventurous tale explores Darwin's discoveries in geology, paleontology, and animal anatomy that led to his famous theory of evolution.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 8, 2013
    ISBN9781470355906
    One Beetle Too Many
    Author

    Kathryn Lasky

    Kathryn Lasky is a New York Times bestselling author of many children’s and young adult books, which include her Tangled in Time series; her bestselling series Guardians of Ga’Hoole, which was made into the Warner Bros. movie Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole; and her picture book Sugaring Time, awarded a Newbery Honor. She has twice won the National Jewish Book Award, for her novel The Night Journey and her picture book Marven of the Great North Woods. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband. kathrynlasky.com

    More audiobooks from Kathryn Lasky

    Related to One Beetle Too Many

    Related audiobooks

    Children's For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Best Fiction Reads Of 2018: The Monitor's Picks

      Dec 5, 2018

      A reimagining of 'Beowulf' and Anne Tyler's latest are two of the works of fiction that made the cut for our list.

      2 min read

    • Article

      No Mail, Low Morale

      Feb 1, 2022

      On a frosty February morning in 1945, Major Charity Adams led her troops, the first African American women to serve in Europe, to an airplane hangar in Birmingham, England. At her signal, two members of the newly formed 6888th Central Postal Director

      7 min read

    • Article

      Forfeit

      Jan 1, 2021

      Forfeit
      7 min read

    • Article

      The GIRL WHO LISTENED with HER FEET

      Apr 1, 2020

      The GIRL WHO LISTENED with HER FEET
      5 min read

    • Article

      Death Of A Radical Rewilder

      May 20, 2020

      Death Of A Radical Rewilder
      4 min read

    • Article

      Whoa! How Embarrassing!

      Sep 5, 2019

      Whoa! How Embarrassing!
      3 min read

    • Article

      Golden Spike

      Sep 1, 2019

      Golden Spike
      9 min read

    • Article

      Wolf Sister

      May 7, 2020

      Wolf Sister
      10 min read

    • Article

      Muse Mail

      Oct 1, 2023

      Muse Mail
      5 min read

    • Article

      Caitlin Colleary

      Nov 1, 2021

      Caitlin Colleary
      3 min read

    • Article

      Whoa! How Embarrassing!

      Jul 4, 2019

      Whoa! How Embarrassing!
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Seal's Skin

      Nov 1, 2021

      The Seal's Skin
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Finch

      Apr 1, 2019

      The Finch
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Driftwood's Tale

      Jul 1, 2019

      A Driftwood's Tale
      6 min read

    • Article

      Galileo

      Mar 1, 2022

      Galileo
      4 min read

    • Article

      Army of Volunteers

      Jan 1, 2022

      Army of Volunteers
      3 min read

    • Article

      Sunflowers in Skagway

      Jan 1, 2023

      Sunflowers in Skagway
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Last Kirin

      Jan 1, 2020

      The Last Kirin
      11 min read

    • Article

      Happy & Grumpy Take a train

      May 8, 2020

      Happy & Grumpy Take a train
      1 min read

    • Article

      In Praise of Bossy Big Sisters

      Mar 3, 2017

      Like many young girls, I fell in love with the Little House series when I was about seven years old. What followed was two or three years of obsession; I read the books repeatedly, developed a fondness for long dresses, and regularly wore my hair in

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Boy Who Liked Bugs

      Oct 7, 2020

      The Boy Who Liked Bugs
      3 min read

    • Article

      Friend OF THE Owl

      Dec 18, 2023

      Friend OF THE Owl
      10 min read

    • Article

      Alfred Russel Wallace 1823-1913

      Apr 11, 2024

      Alfred Russel Wallace 1823-1913
      2 min read

    • Article

      What Happened Next....

      Oct 7, 2020

      The boy in this story is Charles Darwin – he would grow up to be the most famous naturalist in history. His interest in the natural world led to him being invited to go on a scientific voyage around the world. On 27th December 1831, Darwin left Eng

      1 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for One Beetle Too Many

    4/5

    38 ratings8 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This is a book that I've been intending to read for quite a while and just haven't gotten around to. Now that I have though, I am pleased to share that I really enjoyed it. It was well written, using a couple of different literary devices that I'd like to revisit in the future including excellent use of items in a series. I think I counted that one three different times in here.
      Also, it was a great biography on Darwin and filled in some details that make him, if nothing else, a more colorful, vibrant man. I would love to share it with children though I think that the length would prevent it from being a simple read-aloud. Even though it's got all the making of a good boy book with its blood and grossness in all the right places, I can't picture an elementary age child persevering through it without some ulterior motive like a school assignment to push them through.
      I enjoyed it though. It was a well done biography.
    • 2/5
      Since I will be teaching high school, I doubt that I would incorporate this book into any of my lessons, although the history of Charles Darwin is important in biology. The illustrations are designed for 7-12 year old, but much of the text (in my opinion), is for a more advanced reader than the age suggested. My son, who is 10, loves science and the natural environment, was very interested in the book when I showed it too him, but lost interest when it got to be too long for him. The organization was fine and simple with the sequential events taking place during Charles' life in correct order, as far as I know. The author was inaccurate when he summed up Charles' boat journey, but still got the sequence of events correct. The illustrations were colorful and detailed. I do not believe that Chrales Darwin believed in a "Creator," as the book suggests.
    • 5/5
      Great book! Amazing illustrations! Lots of good informatin about the life of Charles Darwin
    • 3/5
      This is a beautifully illustrated picture book biography of Charles Darwin. Although it is in picture book format, the author is clearly writing for an older audience. I couldn't help but feel that there were large gas in information as the story progressed from one "chapter" to the next. But this format was great for getting an idea of who Darwin was and to give a little background into his life. The illustrations alone make this a worthy read.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations are great and might inspire many a young naturalist (or some older ones as well).
    • 5/5
      Charles Darwin was a child who was allowed to explore and he grew up, despite his terrible conflicts with schools, to be a man who explored the world of nature.Lasky, as she has done in every book, writes the story of Darwin's life brilliantly. Darwin feels as round and human as any fictional character. He comes across as both a student easily bored and a thoughtful observer.The pictures make Darwin feel even more real, smart yet bumbling. I loved the richness of the writing and the fun of the pictures. A bibliography is included at the end.A sample:“He was told it was something no clergyman should do. That it was a wild scheme. That the boat was unsafe. That the voyage would be useless. That this was a most unsuitable occupation and would ruin his character. And if all that were not enough, he would surely get horribly seasick and furthermore the natives would probably eat him. In spite of all these objections from his father and sisters and aunts and uncles, Charles still wanted to go.”
    • 4/5
      Kathryn Lasky and Matthew Trueman's One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin takes the reader along on Darwin's journey. The book begins in his youth, and as the text details his academic struggles in childhood and his contentious relationship with his father, children can see the young Darwin's curiosity and love of nature shining through on every page. Darwin's future as a naturalist is visible from the first illustration, where a young Charles trips across a room kicking up dirt and plants and drawings of beetles, surrounded by specimens and snails whose alien-like eyes peek out at him. And when kids read the accompanying text and learn the reason that his cheek is so bulged out - he's got a beetle inside his mouth for safekeeping - curious kids will be hooked.The bulk of the book takes place during Darwin's voyage on the Beagle and his travels in South America. The narrative voice of the story lets young readers make discoveries and ask questions along with Darwin, with an explanation of each seperate step that eventually leads to his theory of evolution. This technique keeps a tough concept clear and engaging for young audiences. The tension between Darwin's new theory and the established creationist theory is also cleverly framed to make it accessible for children. Lasky uses Fitzroy, the Captain of the Beagle, as a foil for Darwin. Their arguments serve both to move Darwin's discoveries forward, and also to give a concrete example of how his work would be recived by the general population.The text is full of small details that will grab the attention of young readers. In my personal favorite episode Darwin discovers that the delicious meal he has been eating is in fact a rare example of a nearly extinct ostrich. He runs back to the kitchen to save the bones from the cook, and is able to put together a specimen that is instrumental to his work. And this is not the last time that Darwin accidentally eats an important specimen!While Lasky's text is excellent, it is Matthew Trueman's art that makes this book a standout. The illustrations are densely layered and full of texture, with a level of detail that is extraordinary. The textures and layers are use a large number of mediums, and as a read I found myself wondering how exactly he had created his complicated scenes. In case anyone else is curious about the process, according to the artist, "the illustrations in this book started out as drawings created with acrylic inks, watercolor, and graphite pencil. I moved up the food chain to add gouache and colored pencil. After sealing the pictures with acrylic medium, I did my thicker acrylic painting, then fooled around a little more with graphite and colored pencil. Finally, I added the collage elements, including paper, string, and weeds and wildflowers from my yard and nearby ditches and fields."Trueman uses his mixed mediums to great effect, and the addition of pressed flowers and plants to his already delightful paintings is especially effective. The very real leaves and branches draw attention to the world of nature that was a focus of Darwin's work, especially in scenes that show his notebooks and workspaces. They also serve to make the cartoonish people and animals pop off the page. Trueman's people are constantly in motion, especially Darwin himself, and their action draws the eye immediately. Darwin ages over the course of the book, and I was delighted by the changes to his hair on almost every page.This book is a treat for curious young scientists, or for anyone who wonders about the world around them.
    • 5/5
      In One Beetle Too Many Lasky tells the story of Charles Darwin and his quest to learn more about the natural world. We learn of Darwin's childhood and his father's concern over his nonconformity. Charles did not do well in school and preferred to be with the bugs rather than the books. As readers, we follow his life aboard The Beagle, home to England and end with the publication of The Origin of Species. Lasky's tellings of specific anecdotes, along with the humorous pictures by Matthew Trueman that accompany the text, create an interesting story for the reader. A child can easily empathize with only eating raisins or Darwin allowing his own children "the run of the house." This book is perfect for introducing Charles Darwin and his adventures to young readers and beyond.