Moth Book Review

Book Review
Moth: An Evolution Story
Written by Isabel Thomas
Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus
Expected publication: June 25, 2019

Why we chose this book:
Nature literature? Always on my radar, and the synopsis for Moth sounded special. Bloomsbury Children's Books provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mom's Review

Beautiful and captivating, Moth introduces young readers to evolution and environmentalism through narrative. T loved the pictures and said he enjoyed the story, but he didn't understand how evolution worked after our initial read. This was no surprise. Throughout the day we continued to talk about camouflage, babies looking like their parents, and animals likely to get eaten. With leading questions and conversation, he learned the basic concept. I was impressed when he connected the evolution of one animal to the impact it has on the greater food chain: "But if all the moths and worms are black, and the birds can't see them, what will the birds eat? Won't they starve and die?"

Moth tells the story of the peppered moth's evolution. Prior to the industrial revolution, the moths had speckled wings, which provided camouflage on lichen-colored trees. Pollution from industry killed the lichen, so birds easily caught speckled moths, but not charcoal-colored moths; thus, the moths evolved to predominantly charcoal-covered wings. Thomas explains in understandable terms that this happened because the darker moths were not caught and were able to have babies, and their offspring resembled themselves. Jump ahead to today, when we have restrictions on pollution; we learn that the moths have evolved again. At present, both speckled and charcoal peppered moths can be found. Thomas closes her book with an encouragement to look for moths in the wild. Back matter provides more specifics on the evolution of the peppered moth.

Son's Review 
(Age: 4)
Mom: What was your favorite part of Moth?

Son: Um. Well, I liked the little girl.

Mom: What little girl?

Son, flipping through the book: The character...This girl [reading about moths].

Mom: What was the most interesting thing that you learned?

Son: Why they made a machines.

Mom: And why did they make machines? Did they hurt moths on purpose, or was it just something that happened?

Son: To hurt moths...that was something that just happened.

Mom: If you look at this picture you can see why people made machines. Why did they build steam trains?

Son: Haul things.

Mom: The humans didn't hurt moths. What did the birds do?

Son: Eat the moths.

Mom: What would you do if you found a moth?

Son: I would trap it gently.

Mom: What would you want to see on the moth?

Son: Its wings and its little butt.

Mom: What do you already know about moths?

Son: Well, what I already know is that moths have wings to fly.

Mom: When it is a good time to read Moth?

Son: When I don't understand a moth thing or I forget.

Mom: Who is this a good book for?

Son: Uncle B. Because it just is.

Mom: Why do you think that Isabel Thomas wrote this story? What do you think she wants us to learn?

Son: I don't know.

Mom: That's okay. How did the moths grow and change over time?.

Son: I forgot.

Mom: Let's look back...
(And here we had a long conversation about who got eaten at different points in history versus which moths grew up and had babies.)

Mom: So, what do you understand now?

Son: Now I understand that she wants to know that, "Keep the air clean...help the moths."

Mom: What's the most important thing to know about Moth?

Son: That you should keep the air clean!