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Life Through Time: The 700-Million-Year Story of Life on Earth
Travel back in time and watch the incredible story of life on Earth unfold.
Life Through Time explores the origins of species that still exist today in early fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals. It takes readers through the years of dinosaurs and megafauna up to the appearance of our first human ancestors around six million years ago, to the evolution of hunter-gathering Homo sapiens in the Ice Age and the first civilizations.
Perfect for children and parents to read together and discover the incredible story of life on our planet. Open the book and let the 700-million-year journey begin!
Life Through Time explores the origins of species that still exist today in early fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals. It takes readers through the years of dinosaurs and megafauna up to the appearance of our first human ancestors around six million years ago, to the evolution of hunter-gathering Homo sapiens in the Ice Age and the first civilizations.
Perfect for children and parents to read together and discover the incredible story of life on our planet. Open the book and let the 700-million-year journey begin!
32 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 2020
4 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 25, 2024
این یکی دیگه از کتابهای جذاب نشر دیکِی هست که با تصاویر دیجیتال پانوراما، نگاه سریعی به ۷۰۰ میلیون سال زندگی در زمین میندازه. هر دو صفحه یک دوره رو نشون میدن و در حاشیه توضیحاتی در مورد موجودات نشان دادهشده در تصویر وجود داره
خوبیش اینه که یک ایدهی کلی از تکامل زندگی و دورههای زمین میده، اما خب بیشتر از این نیست و اطلاعات زیادی نداره. مزیت تصویرها هم اینه که چون حیوانات رو کنار هم نشون میده، میشه سایزشون رو متوجه شد. کتاب کوتاهه و حتی میشه توضیحات همهی موجودات رو هم نخوند و فقط از تماشای تکامل حیات در ۳۴ صفحه لذت برد
#ای_کاش_میتونستم_کتابش_رو_دستم_بگیرم_و_ورق_بزنم
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Maede's Books
۱۴۰۳/۱/۶
خوبیش اینه که یک ایدهی کلی از تکامل زندگی و دورههای زمین میده، اما خب بیشتر از این نیست و اطلاعات زیادی نداره. مزیت تصویرها هم اینه که چون حیوانات رو کنار هم نشون میده، میشه سایزشون رو متوجه شد. کتاب کوتاهه و حتی میشه توضیحات همهی موجودات رو هم نخوند و فقط از تماشای تکامل حیات در ۳۴ صفحه لذت برد
#ای_کاش_میتونستم_کتابش_رو_دستم_بگیرم_و_ورق_بزنم
کتاب رو میتونید از اینجا دانلود کنید
Maede's Books
۱۴۰۳/۱/۶
August 22, 2020
This is a well illustrated, short look at the history of life on earth. With so few pages, it requires huge leaps in time and obviously can only show a few snapshots of life over the eons and leaves many unanswered questions for kids. The spreads go across the pages and each one tells of a different era with lush pictures of lots of animals and plants in an imaged scene from that time. Around the edges of the picture are tiny pictures of some of the creatures that existed in that era.
I read a digital ARC for review, and the quality of the images was extremely poor. It was even hard to read the text. Another reviewer mentioned this also and said that Net Galley may have lowered their file size limit. This may be because they're trying to get people to switch to their new proprietary download format (which I don't wish to use). I've noticed it in other books recently too, and it makes it very difficult to review the books. This is not the fault of the book, but I wasn't able to read all of the small text and it was hard to really get a feel for the images. I'm sure the final version will be excellent for consumers.
I read a digital ARC for review, and the quality of the images was extremely poor. It was even hard to read the text. Another reviewer mentioned this also and said that Net Galley may have lowered their file size limit. This may be because they're trying to get people to switch to their new proprietary download format (which I don't wish to use). I've noticed it in other books recently too, and it makes it very difficult to review the books. This is not the fault of the book, but I wasn't able to read all of the small text and it was hard to really get a feel for the images. I'm sure the final version will be excellent for consumers.
June 24, 2025
Nice addition to what is apparently a new "Something-Something Through Time" series for DK (I've already read and enjoyed their Great Wall Through Time and China Through Time, which is basically the story of China's 2,500-year-old- and-counting Grand Canal). Cool, mural-like illustrations, especially nice after having just recently seen the original and classic Charles Knight murals at Chicago's Field Museum, and the artists do a reasonable job in not making their "feathered dragons" look too much like prehistoric chickens.
Several different illustrators are used, and quite honestly the quality of the paintings falls off once you move on from the dinosaurs, as if even the publishers realized that readers weren't coming here for the monkeys and mammoths.
Only criticism — and it is a minor one, coming from my graphic designer past — is that the identifying labels added inside the paintings are in general hard to find, as they're black text on often dark backgrounds; they would have worked much better as reverse white type, registration problems be damned, (you printers out there will know what I mean!).
Several different illustrators are used, and quite honestly the quality of the paintings falls off once you move on from the dinosaurs, as if even the publishers realized that readers weren't coming here for the monkeys and mammoths.
Only criticism — and it is a minor one, coming from my graphic designer past — is that the identifying labels added inside the paintings are in general hard to find, as they're black text on often dark backgrounds; they would have worked much better as reverse white type, registration problems be damned, (you printers out there will know what I mean!).
September 16, 2020
Life Through Time: The 700-Million-Year Story of Life on Earth by John Woodward is a book that uses panoramic images to tell the story of life on Earth, from its earliest origins to the present day. The amazing story of life's evolution begins in vast oceans and swamp forests and is shaken by dramatic extinctions caused by ice, violent volcanic eruptions, and meteor impacts. It explores geological time and the origins of species that still exist today in early fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, and mammals. It takes readers up to the appearance of our first human ancestors around 6 million years ago, the evolution of hunter-gathering Homo sapiens in the Ice Age, Stone Age farmers, the earliest civilization in Mesopotamia, the effects of the Industrial Revolution on the natural world, and people living with nature in the modern world.
Life Through Time is a book that makes great use of bold, full page images depicting the development of life on our planet. The images have great detail, and every time I look I see something that I had not noticed before. I thought that the texted was well done, accessible and interesting. The little snippets pulling out images and extra information about specific creatures or features were also very well done. A great deal was covered, but thanks to the artwork the depth of information in those little paragraphs never became overwhelming. I thought the chart at the very end of the book that showed how the planet has shifted and changed just as much as the life that calls it home was a nice addition. A great deal of time was covered in just over thirty pages, I would have loved to see it extend just a bit longer into human civilization. We make up such a short part of this planet's history that one page more would have been enough, but I understand why thy might not have done so.
Overall, I really enjoyed Life Through Time and think it will appeal to many young readers. It would be well loved in a public, school, or personal library.
Life Through Time is a book that makes great use of bold, full page images depicting the development of life on our planet. The images have great detail, and every time I look I see something that I had not noticed before. I thought that the texted was well done, accessible and interesting. The little snippets pulling out images and extra information about specific creatures or features were also very well done. A great deal was covered, but thanks to the artwork the depth of information in those little paragraphs never became overwhelming. I thought the chart at the very end of the book that showed how the planet has shifted and changed just as much as the life that calls it home was a nice addition. A great deal of time was covered in just over thirty pages, I would have loved to see it extend just a bit longer into human civilization. We make up such a short part of this planet's history that one page more would have been enough, but I understand why thy might not have done so.
Overall, I really enjoyed Life Through Time and think it will appeal to many young readers. It would be well loved in a public, school, or personal library.
March 5, 2022
Es gibt soo viele Möglichkeiten, das „Leben im Lauf der Zeit“ darzustellen. Entweder in dicken Lexika oder Enzyklopädien oder - für Kinder deutlich ansprechender – in großformatigen Zeichnungen bzw. Illustrationen. Wie im vorliegenden Buch.
Auf insgesamt 16 sehr großen und detailreichen Zeichnungen wird gezeigt, wie sich das Leben von vor 635 Millionen Jahren bis in die Neuzeit vor ca. 9.000 Jahren entwickelt hat. Klar, die Zeitabstände sind immer noch unfassbar lang, wenn man bedenkt, dass die Dinosaurier in drei Zeitaltern der Erde die Vorherrschaft innehatten.
Es wird aber auch sehr deutlich, wie sehr die Menschen die Erde in so kurzer Zeit verändert haben. Auf der Zeitleist, die sich auf der Umschlagsseite vorn und hinten befindet, wird dies sehr deutlich. Unseren Jungs ist direkt aufgefallen, dass mit der Entwicklung des aufrechten Gangs sich die Erde deutlich massiver verändert hat als die Millionen Jahre zuvor. Zumindest in unserem Fall hat dies unseren Jungs in gewisser Maßen die Augen geöffnet.
Ich denke aber, dass jedes kleine aber auch große Kind (und vielleicht sogar auch die kindgebliebenen) in diesem Buch etwas Neues entdecken kann bzw. wird. Lesen müssen die Kinder meines Erachtens nicht zwingend können, denn die kleinen Zusatzinformationen am Rand der Zeichnungen können auch ganz gut von einem Erwachsenen vorgelesen werden.
Fazit
Faszination Wimmelbild. Es ist erstaunlich, welche Anziehungskraft von einem Wimmelbild ausgehen kann. Wenn diese nicht nur Kleinkindmotive zeigen, sondern solch interessante Szenerien wie die Vielfalt der Natur im Laufe der Entstehungsgeschichte der Erde, dann sind diese auch für größere Kinder interessant. Es mag aber auch an dem sehr großflächigem Format liegen, dass dieses Buch bei unseren Jungs so gut angekommen ist.
Auf insgesamt 16 sehr großen und detailreichen Zeichnungen wird gezeigt, wie sich das Leben von vor 635 Millionen Jahren bis in die Neuzeit vor ca. 9.000 Jahren entwickelt hat. Klar, die Zeitabstände sind immer noch unfassbar lang, wenn man bedenkt, dass die Dinosaurier in drei Zeitaltern der Erde die Vorherrschaft innehatten.
Es wird aber auch sehr deutlich, wie sehr die Menschen die Erde in so kurzer Zeit verändert haben. Auf der Zeitleist, die sich auf der Umschlagsseite vorn und hinten befindet, wird dies sehr deutlich. Unseren Jungs ist direkt aufgefallen, dass mit der Entwicklung des aufrechten Gangs sich die Erde deutlich massiver verändert hat als die Millionen Jahre zuvor. Zumindest in unserem Fall hat dies unseren Jungs in gewisser Maßen die Augen geöffnet.
Ich denke aber, dass jedes kleine aber auch große Kind (und vielleicht sogar auch die kindgebliebenen) in diesem Buch etwas Neues entdecken kann bzw. wird. Lesen müssen die Kinder meines Erachtens nicht zwingend können, denn die kleinen Zusatzinformationen am Rand der Zeichnungen können auch ganz gut von einem Erwachsenen vorgelesen werden.
Fazit
Faszination Wimmelbild. Es ist erstaunlich, welche Anziehungskraft von einem Wimmelbild ausgehen kann. Wenn diese nicht nur Kleinkindmotive zeigen, sondern solch interessante Szenerien wie die Vielfalt der Natur im Laufe der Entstehungsgeschichte der Erde, dann sind diese auch für größere Kinder interessant. Es mag aber auch an dem sehr großflächigem Format liegen, dass dieses Buch bei unseren Jungs so gut angekommen ist.
June 21, 2021
Lots to Look At, Not Much to Read
Imagine crunching down 700 million years of life on Earth into just 30 pages... and you have this book. As you might imagine, it's a little light on the details and glosses over things that probably should not be. It starts with life growing in the oceans in the pre-Cambrian era and ends with the first farmers of the Holocene epoch. The last page shows how Earth itself changed over millions of years. Each two-page spread is beautifully illustrated with near painting-like quality and has a paragraph with a little information about the era and its predominant life forms. Around the border of the illustration are short factoids about the different creatures living at the time, including early humans. This book feels like more of a book to look at than to read as there isn't much text. One thing that certainly stands out is that humans have only been a part of Earth's history for a brief time. As you might imagine, the book has a fair amount of reptiles and dinosaurs, making it an excellent gift for an older dino-loving child.
I received a free copy of the book, but that did not affect my review.
Imagine crunching down 700 million years of life on Earth into just 30 pages... and you have this book. As you might imagine, it's a little light on the details and glosses over things that probably should not be. It starts with life growing in the oceans in the pre-Cambrian era and ends with the first farmers of the Holocene epoch. The last page shows how Earth itself changed over millions of years. Each two-page spread is beautifully illustrated with near painting-like quality and has a paragraph with a little information about the era and its predominant life forms. Around the border of the illustration are short factoids about the different creatures living at the time, including early humans. This book feels like more of a book to look at than to read as there isn't much text. One thing that certainly stands out is that humans have only been a part of Earth's history for a brief time. As you might imagine, the book has a fair amount of reptiles and dinosaurs, making it an excellent gift for an older dino-loving child.
I received a free copy of the book, but that did not affect my review.
September 19, 2020
Like Through Time is a typically excellent DK work, filled with informative text and vivid, detailed images. I’d call this one more a timeline than a “book” in that it covers so much so fast that there really isn’t time for full descriptions or explanations, relying instead on a listing of events and brief descriptions of creatures. But as a concise timeline of life’s deep history, it’s excellent.
It begins with the Cambrian explosion 500 million years ago and jumps (large jumps of millions of years at first, then hundreds of thousands, then thousands) era to era until it closes with the Holocene and the rise of “The First Farmers.” If I had any wish, it were that they’d devoted an entire panel to human evolution, and maybe covered the rised of large-scale civilizations as well at the very end. But as it stands, this is an excellent resource to offer a quick introduction or refresher, placing everything in an easier context.
It begins with the Cambrian explosion 500 million years ago and jumps (large jumps of millions of years at first, then hundreds of thousands, then thousands) era to era until it closes with the Holocene and the rise of “The First Farmers.” If I had any wish, it were that they’d devoted an entire panel to human evolution, and maybe covered the rised of large-scale civilizations as well at the very end. But as it stands, this is an excellent resource to offer a quick introduction or refresher, placing everything in an easier context.
August 18, 2020
Good work like always with this publisher. A good overview of the dinosaurs (various period, kinds, etc.). instructive and visually well presented so it would catch kids attention.
Small minus here, I won't penalize it much in the ratings, because I think it's a files issues and not a overall quality issues of the true physical or even true digital book. The illustrations look very bad, full of pixels and blurry. But recently I've been contact with some publisher, after bad reviews, saying that NG limited the file size, so they have to downgrade the quality of there digital files in order to fit in. If so, well NG should try to improve that because it provides a «sample» that isn't truly accurate and so it's hard to give a fair review on a downgraded product...
Small minus here, I won't penalize it much in the ratings, because I think it's a files issues and not a overall quality issues of the true physical or even true digital book. The illustrations look very bad, full of pixels and blurry. But recently I've been contact with some publisher, after bad reviews, saying that NG limited the file size, so they have to downgrade the quality of there digital files in order to fit in. If so, well NG should try to improve that because it provides a «sample» that isn't truly accurate and so it's hard to give a fair review on a downgraded product...
August 18, 2020
Life Through Time: The 700-Million-Year Story of Life on Earth is very well written and beautifully illustrated. With vivid and realistic panoramic illustrations and interesting facts, this book is sure to captivate its target audience, children 7 to 11 years of age.
I especially like how the life forms in the illustrations are labeled and how the short factoids surround each of the illustrations.
Well done, Mr. Woodward, well done!
My thanks to NetGalley and publisher DK Children for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I especially like how the life forms in the illustrations are labeled and how the short factoids surround each of the illustrations.
Well done, Mr. Woodward, well done!
My thanks to NetGalley and publisher DK Children for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.
March 29, 2023
A fun little book (though short, it's dimension are rather large) that gives various periods of earth history and points out various species of animals and a few plants with little bits of information in the margins. Covers the major periods (Cambrian, Devonian, Carboniforous, etc...) up to the first farmers 9,000 years ago. It's the kind of book I would've loved as a kid. Now, it's rather basic and there's at least one place where the cgi on one species looks blatant and a bit unfinished. Still a good kid's book on prehistoric earth.
May 26, 2021
Informative, with exciting illustrations, this book will spark the curiosity of older children and adults as they flip through. Having the descriptions around the page saves space, but makes for a tedious game of “Where’s Waldo” as you try to find the creatures in the richly detailed illustrations. “Is that the Seymouria? No, that’s the Araeoscelis. Okay, well where the heck is the Eryops? Is it the one getting eaten by the Secodontosaurus?”
February 9, 2024
This book uses photo-realistic 3D illustrations to tell us what the Earth has been like for 700 million years.
The scenes that show the appearance of the oceans when the Earth was born, fish, amphibians, reptiles that now live completely on land, and gorgeous dinosaurs are powerful.
Although this book has only 32 pages of content in all, each page has been very realistically created by the illustrator and makes it worth reading.
The scenes that show the appearance of the oceans when the Earth was born, fish, amphibians, reptiles that now live completely on land, and gorgeous dinosaurs are powerful.
Although this book has only 32 pages of content in all, each page has been very realistically created by the illustrator and makes it worth reading.
September 12, 2020
A visual delight for anyone! Plenty of information included in just the pictures. Readers looking to have a better understanding of prehistoric life will enjoy this. Thorough and worth a purchase in all collections. This is a book where readers will learn something new everytime they open it up.
August 1, 2022
I was looking for something light to read in library since i don’t want to carry it back home, it was fun read. I always love to learn about earth before human exist and i felt back to kiddo again with picture book but it was fun! Love the graphics 4/5
October 9, 2022
Gorgeous dinosaur timeline
The history of life on earth up to the emergence of civilisation. The illustrations are gorgeous. Ideal for children who love dinosaurs and want to know when each era was around.
The history of life on earth up to the emergence of civilisation. The illustrations are gorgeous. Ideal for children who love dinosaurs and want to know when each era was around.
January 22, 2021
Amazing material
Incredible information and pictures, including a brief evolution of the earth at the end. Read it to your kids please!
Incredible information and pictures, including a brief evolution of the earth at the end. Read it to your kids please!
abandoned
January 3, 2022Skimmed
June 14, 2023
Great pictures, but not a lot of information. Just small snippets with names of some living things per era.
January 14, 2024
4.5 stars for me
March 26, 2024
برادرزاده م 10 از 10 انگشت نوچ بهش داد منم از 4 از 5 ستاره.
ریویو و دانلود کتاب از اینجا
ریویو و دانلود کتاب از اینجا
September 26, 2024
Super short, super useful.
October 19, 2025
This series is incredible!
December 26, 2024
O carte ușor de citit, cu ilustrații magnifice și informații scurte, concise și interesante!
May 10, 2021
Life Through Time is an excellent snapshot of different natural history eras; a great book for children interested in science and natural history. While an entire natural history cannot be covered in a picture book of this length (31 pages), I think this does a great job serving its purpose: utilizing engaging oversized 2-page spread illustrations to highlight different eras and what life looked like during those times. Each creature is labelled on the image and then little bits of detail are provided around the borders of the pages. This provides a simplistic but effective walk through of history. If you have every been to the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, walking through their natural history timeline exhibit is similar to the experience of flipping through the pages of this book. Yes, a great number of this are skipped, but I think this still is effective and engaging for the age range.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book from DK Kids. Opinions are my own.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book from DK Kids. Opinions are my own.
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