Jordie Belle

Hi, my name is Dr Jordan Bell & my mission is to create a book explaining evolution for children all around the world.

As a nerdy parent who loves reading to my daughter, I wanted to find more children’s fiction with a strong STEM message to help her learn about the world. I’ve always believed that an understanding of the theory of evolution is an important key to scientific literacy for our developing citizens, and I wasn’t able to find a book on this topic that sparked my daughter’s imagination – so I wrote one!  I know there are lots of other parents out there who really want to instil a love of science in their children, but don’t know how to do it. One of the best ways to help kids love science is to read about it with them – books about the natural world, that explain the main concepts in a scientifically accurate way, using words and concepts that are right for their age group. “Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Evolution” is that book.

I’m a psychologist and educator, with a passion for science communication. When I studied genetics at university, I was fascinated by the explanatory power of the concept of evolution. The simple ideas that Charles Darwin proposed in 1859, of inheritance, variation and natural selection, explain so much about why living things in the modern world are the way they are, from bacteria, to plants, to animals and humans. I’ve always wanted a way to share this knowledge with younger children, so they can share in this powerful understanding of our world, the environment, medicine and their own bodies, as well as grow up to be scientifically-literate citizens. I also wanted to provide a role model for girls in STEM, to show young girls and young boys that women can have fun and interesting careers as scientists.

About three years ago, I had an idea for how to bring these ideas to children in a compelling story of adventure and discovery, that would be engaging and interesting to kids and parents alike. Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Evolution was born. Right from the start, I knew I wanted it to be as scientifically accurate as possible, so I’ve spent the intervening time reading and researching for real life examples of evolution to share – and I’m talking real fossils, dating volcanic explosions, and bringing the past to life as a very different world to the one we live in today. It turns out, 55 million years changes things a bit! I even asked Professor John Long, highly respected Strategic Professor of palaeontology at Flinders University, to review my work to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. (My PhD is in Psychology, so it’s been over a decade since I studied genetics at university. I thought it was important to make sure I got things right when teaching kids.) He gave it the thumbs up!

But I also knew the book needed to be fun. So I started working with Gabriel Cunnett, illustrator and artist, to bring the book to life. I found Gabriel’s work really appealing, because he’s able to do very technical drawings that are accurate and precise, but he also has a warm and engaging style that I thought would really appeal to kids.

Once the Pozible campaign is over, I’ll be working with graphic designer Mai-Sie Jean to lay out the book for publication, and then printing them. The books will be A5-sized, making each one "a little book for little hands" with six chapters and illustrations throughout the text. When the books are delivered by the carton-load to my house, I’ll start packaging them up and posting them out to you.

I’m really excited to bring this story to life through Pozible, and to bring the book into existence with your help. Now that we've reached our intial target, Aunt Jodie's Guide to Evolution will definitely be printed. All pledges from now will be charged as you provide your details. It's kind of like a pre-order, except that your support is bringing this book into existence. The great thing about crowdfunding is that now that we've exceeded our inital target, everyone’s books will get better, with more illustrations and maybe even an audiobook – see the stretch goals below. And you also have the opportunity to buy a copy of Aunt Jodie’s Guide to send to a primary school anywhere in Australia – you can nominate a school yourself, or I will select a school in a low-SES area to receive a copy from you.

Get more information at our website: https://www.auntjodiesguide.com/ or join our Facebook group for behind-the-scenes updates and cool science news while we get Aunt Jodie's Guide ready for you!

Please share this campaign and video with other parents, aunties/uncles and grandparents who you think might like a copy of Aunt Jodie's Guide to Evolution for the kids they love.

How The Funds Will Be Used

As a writer, it’s important to me that all the creative people involved with Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Evolution are all paid properly for their talent and time.

The funds from this Pozible campaign will be used to:

• Print and post the books to you (about 2/3 of the budget cost)
• Pay illustrator Gabriel Cunnett
• Pay designer Mai-Sie Jean
• Help fund the first print of the book
• Pay for the auntjodiesguide.com website
• Get copies of the book into low-SES (disadvantaged) primary schools for free (you can help with this - see the pledges page)

Stretch Goals

If we reach our target of $4000, the book comes to you with the story text, glossary and pronunciation guide, and six colour illustrations. REACHED!

If we reach $5000, the number of illustrations increases to nine. REACHED!

At $7500, the number of illustrations increases to thirteen. REACHED!

At $10,000, the number of illustrations increases to twenty, including a timeline of the eras of life on Earth AND we will professionally record an audiobook of Aunt Jodie’s Guide to Evolution, for digital download to all supporters.