Life Story

I was searching for a really good book about dinosaurs for my almost 4 year old daughter who has just developed an interest in prehistoric creatures, when I stumbled onto this book. We own other titles by Burton, The Little House, Katy and the Big Snow, and Calico the Wonder Horse, and love them all. But I think this book is the best. Why? Because, for my daughter, who demands daily readings, it has cracked the world of science wide open, spurring question after question about everything from meteors to the different types of rock, volcanoes, weather, the solar system, and on and on. Using the format of an engaging story, Burton has managed to touch on each of these subjects, and more, and pack so much information into a mere 80-pages. But it's not just rote information, it is a story, it is a play, and it is presented in such an entertaining way that it paves the path for a young child begin a journey of discovery that is integral to a life-long love and understanding of natural history and of the composition of the world around them. Burton's story begins 'eons and eons ago' when 'our sun was born.' Each page is laid out with the left side containing a one-paragraph description of the period of time being sampled. This is paired with a tri-color visual narrative of what is happening, be it a 5-sketch demonstration of lava erupting from the Earth's core or the evolutionary progression of invertebrate organisms, plants, or animals. The drawings create almost a (slow) motion picture to accompany the words. The left page is dedicated to a full-color scene, set behind a stage, complete with drawn-aside red velvet curtain, and a curious little man examining the different goings-on. He, too, becomes more modern as the story progresses. Something that I love about the format of this book is that the book begins by capturing snapshots of different periods of time that are very far apart; the first two documented time periods are 560,000,000 years apart. Mid-way through the book, the scenes are only 3,200,000 apart, and finally, by the end of the book, time slows down to 100 years, then 25, then 15, then each of the four seasons, then it is slowed to days, hours, and finally the final dark minutes before the sun rises and a new dawn is upon us. Early on, as time slows, Burton introduces her family into the story, and you find that this is her life story. On the final pages, as the story she has to tell draws to a close, Burton turns the story over to you, the reader, because it is your life story too. That last poetic touch is so beautiful, so perfect, that it leaves me in awe of the woman who wrote this book. I don't think that this book could have been written, presented, and illustrated better. Every part just 'fits.' The ending, I believe in time, will help my child to understand where she fits into this story, and perhaps she, as I do, will feel that warm swell of love toward our home, our Earth, and all the life that has walked upon it, and gratitude that she has a place among such a brilliant history.

"Life Story" is a beautiful depiction of the history of the Earth, from the initial formation of the Solar System 4.5 billion years ago to the "present" (5:33 am on May 6th, in rural New England USA). A charming aspect of the book is that it's framed as a play on a stage, with each page showing a "scene". The scenes start out as geologic periods, then epochs, then become shorter and shorter as the book moves from geologic history to human history. Most Virginia Lee Burton books (Mike Mulligan, Katy and the Big Snow, etc.) are suitable for preschoolers. "Life Story" is pitched to a slightly older demographic (8-12 years, more or less). Some younger children might love it, but others might not be ready. The scenes featuring prehistoric animals and plants - cephalopods swimming through an Ordovician waterway, a Carboniferous forest of giant cycads - are a gift to the reader's imagination. In the Oligocene, a herd of small proto-horses step out of the scenery to greet the narrator. It's very peaceful and charming; even the carnivores seem to be posing for the audience rather than threatening. The scenes from human history become increasingly specific to a rural community in New England, perhaps Burton's own home in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Children who live in a city or suburb, or in a very different locale, might find this cozy Yankee landscape somewhat alien or exotic. Burton does illustrate a Wampanoag village at the time of arrival of Europeans, but the text somewhat awkwardly refers to the "discovery" of the New World. Subsequent scenes show the development of the region's characteristic small farms, the abandonment of those farms in the early 20th century, and the arrival of a new wave of homesteaders restoring the farms a generation later. The "science" in the illustrations has generally held up well, and the text has been lightly updated to reflect new discoveries, such as mentioning the K-T meteor impact that ended the reign of the dinosaurs. Highly recommended, especially for children ages 8-12 with an interest in science and nature.

I read this book almost 20 years ago in the first grade and was immediately hooked on natural history, dinosaurs, life sciences, and the like, not to mention storytelling itself. The illustrations are entrancing and the format--the history of life as a play in several acts on a world stage--is enthralling. It's highly informative, too, for a young reader (or even an old one), and it was one of the most memorable and entertaining "educational" books I read as a child. Now out of college, I have recently repurchased it for nostalgia and read it again. It remains a wonderful work. Being from 1961, it is slightly dated in spots. For example, it says that there is no record of life 2 billion years ago, whereas today we have found lifeforms dating back twice that far. Also, the dinosaurs' extinction is attributed to a cooling climate, because at the time the meteor theory was not widely accepted. But this of course is nitpicking. The ultimate point of the book is that it's an introduction to the history of our planet and everything on it, including us. The central message--that our own life stories fit into the grand tapestry of life's history--remains. This is a remarkable book, and paticularly if you have a young child, I highly recommend picking up a copy.

This book is an unexpected hit with our kids. Beginning several billion years ago with the formation of the Earth and carrying through the major eras in the evolution of life and Earth, before finally zooming in on a modern house and its family. It's heavy on the science but the information is delivered through gorgeous illustrations with some whimsy as the narrator stands on stage and each is presented as an act in a play. It's a bit of a struggle for me to read to them, but they ask for it so I've learned to summarize and keep things moving. Hopefully as they grow older the girls will get more out of this book.

Virginia Lee Burton left wonderful stories for all ages.

Virginia Lee Burton is such a gifted storyteller and artist, and this book is yet another example. She cleverly yet informatively describes the passage of time on our planet, from many millions of years ago to the present, as acts in a play. The millions of years go by, with various developments and disasters, and then all of a sudden here we are, slowing down, on her farm, watching the hours of the day, the change of the seasons, and she encouragingly proclaims that right here and now is YOUR time and your life story. In the middle of a pandemic and the worst year I can recall out of my 65-and-counting, this book is downright soothing and supportive and encouraging! Yes, we have a place on this planet, and yes, this too shall pass! My 37-year-old daughter felt the same way upon reading it, and her seven-year-old son absolutely loves this book. Highly recommended.

Full of wisdom and information. This is a lovely work with wonderful art. The final page is profound and made me cry. But I want to add something that I found obvious but I can't find a review that mentions it so I will. This book points out to children that they are the end result of millions of years of evolution and because of that, the are worthwhile and have a destiny to fulfill. I wish someone had told me that when I was little and I hope that the children get the message and realize that their life is a gift and should be used to the fullest.

Great book