How to Have a Thought: A Walk with Charles Darwin

Take a walk with Charles Darwin in this electrifying new picture book from Sibert Medalist Nicholas Day.

How do you work through a complicated idea, solve a tricky problem, or make a big discovery? Charles Darwin had a lot of ways to do it. He paced in circles and hit rocks with a stick. He studied the bones of his dinner. He even rode around the world on a boat called The Beagle.

These methods may sound unorthodox, but they led him to some pretty great thoughts–and discoveries about the origins of life as we know it.

Sibert Medalist Nicholas Day’s conversational text has all the charm of a true story told by your smartest, most interesting friend. With Hadley Hooper’s engrossingly textured illustrations, How to Have a Thought is both an introduction to Darwin and an invitation to live with brilliant curiosity.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Author: Nicholas Day
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Published: 01/13/2026
Pages: 32
Weight: 1.25lbs
ISBN: 9780823458509
Language: English