Baker-Smith's paintings, a gore-free mix of full-spread color scenes and sepia or graphite galleries of individual figures, show off his versatility--some exhibiting close attention to fine detail, others being nearly abstract, and all (particularly an armored marine Dunkleosteus on the attack and a Tyrannosaurus that is all teeth, feathery mane, and wild eyes) demonstrating a real flair for drama.A family story over 4 billion years in the making in a suitably ambitious format. --Kirkus Reviews Beginning with the big bang, Jenkins chronicles significant events in the formation of the universe as we know it today, including the emergence of the star that would become the Earth's sun, the ice ages, periods of mass extinction, and expanding biodiversity. Baker-Smith's lush, oversize spreads depict planetary events and life-forms, from early arthropods to the rhinoceroslike mammal Arsinoitherium. --Publishers Weekly Jenkins' text is remarkable in its comprehensiveness.budding biologists, taxonomists, and natural historians will marvel at this beautifully illustrated accumulation of knowledge. --Booklist.