Book Review: It Couldn't Just Happen

I think that when I requested It Couldn't Just Happen by Lawrence Richards I was expecting a different book.  Marketed as being for 9-12 year olds, and with the fun, colorful cover,  I was expecting something with a lot more visual appeal and photos on every page.

I was wrong. 

That's not a bad thing.  I just had different expectations.





From the publisher:

This four-color, Gold Medallion Book Award winner is a perfect tool that offers solid, biblical answers to some of the tough questions kids ask about evolution and our world.
 “Did Earth begin with a ‘Big Bang’ cosmic explosion?”
“Does science contradict the Bible?”
“What happened to dinosaurs?”
“Is there life on other planets?”
“Did we evolve from apes?”
“What makes my body work on its own?”

Kids are daily exposed to the theory of evolution by the media and public schools. It’s not safe to assume that your kids will reject that theory. It’s up to us as parents and Christian leaders to make sure our children know the truth about the creation of the world. With thousands of evidences to prove He created and sustains the universe, It Couldn’t Just Happen will fascinate kids with fun activities and examples of God’s marvelous works.

The book is more like a textbook than what I expected.  Twenty chapters, split into five parts.  Each part contains 3-5 chapters.  At roughly a dozen pages each, the chapters are fairly easy for an adult to read in one sitting, but maybe a little long for your average 4th grader.  Each chapter ends with five "Just for Fun" suggestions.  Some of these are really intriguing, and possibly fun.  Many are more of "Digging Deeper" suggestions.

This is a fascinating overview of a lot of areas of science.  I particularly appreciated that scientific terminology is used and the author doesn't shy away from reasonably sophisticated vocabulary.  In reading this, I didn't feel particularly talked down to, although it is clearly written for an audience younger than myself.  More importantly, I don't think my older boys are going to feel patronized -- and they are 10, 12 and 14.

In a homeschool setting, I could see doing this as a family read-aloud over a quarter, and taking some time to discuss the "Just for Fun" suggestions.

Disclaimer: As a Booksneeze Blogger, I did receive this book for free from Thomas Nelson. No other compensation was received. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.