Why Does My Grandfather, Charles Darwin, Act So Strangely?

About the Book

“Why does my Grandfather, Charles Darwin, act so strangely?” asks Bernard Darwin. He notices that Baba, his grandfather, does strange things like make faces in the mirror, have pet earthworms, and daydream frequently. The cook and the gardener seem to find Mr. Darwin’s behavior worrisome—maybe he just needs something to keep himself busy. Bernard decides to find out why his grandfather acts so strangely. The story is fiction, but all the characters really lived and might have interacted as they do in the story (see annotated list of all characters at the end). It is a good introduction to the life of Charles Darwin for children of 8 or older but most adults, who may want to read the story with their children, will find out something they did not know about Darwin. You will learn about Darwin’s voyage around the world with Captain FitzRoy, the earthquake in Chile, the fossils in the Andes and Patagonia, and the eye-opening experience of visiting the Galapagos Islands that led Darwin to formulate his ideas about biological evolution. He explains to his grandson Natural Selection, the driving force of evolution, the Economy of Nature, the result of the fierce competition between organisms that are constantly under the pressure of natural selection, and why it is that he makes faces in the mirror. And they perform an experiment together on earthworms that really happened, using a piano played by Bernard’s grandmother.

About the Author

Leslie (Les) R. Landrum (1946– ), curator emeritus of the Arizona State University Herbarium, has written numerous scientific papers on the classification (taxonomy) of plants, especially the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). His botanical research began as a Peace Corps volunteer (1969 –1973) while working at the la Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal de la Universidad de Chile, in Santiago. His fascination with Darwin also began in Chile, one of the countries young Charles Darwin explored on the Voyage of the Beagle. Adam Christian (1993- ) graduated Missouri Southern State University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with an emphasis in printmaking and drawing. He has since undergone studies in Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technology and Emergency Medical Services. More recently, his interests include 5K races, antique trucks, and backcountry camping. He currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri, working at a heavy equipment dealership by day and illustrating in his free time.