Book Review: Fossils for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Dinosaur Bones, Ancient Animals, and Prehistoric Life on Earth by Ashley Hall

Fossils for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Dinosaur Bones, Ancient Animals, and Prehistoric Life on Earth by Ashley Hall is filled with photographs and facts for junior fossil hunters ages 5 to 9. It includes how fossils form, where they are found, and tips on how to identify them. Start by learning more about some of your favorite dinosaurs—from Velociraptor to Tyrannosaurus rex—and where you can see the coolest dinosaur skeletons. Then discover the creatures that predate even the dinosaurs! You’ll meet famous birds, like the Archaeopteryx, explore tiny invertebrate trilobites, and learn which ancient plant is the source of a delicious drink—root beer!  Readers won’t just be learning about dinosaurs; this book covers mammals, other reptiles, and plant fossils. 

Fossils for Kids is a solid and well organized book that gives a summary of fossil study and finding for young readers. The information is accessible and covers a broad range of information that is valuable to readers just getting started on the topic. The pictures, illustrations, and occasional fact box and sidebar were well placed and added value while keeping the book from becoming too text heavy. I though the book as a whole is a great starting point for readers that are intrigued by fossil hunting, and want to know more about the process both so they can get started and so they can know what the professionals are doing in the field. However, I think that readers that have been interested in the subject for awhile and maybe already read other books on the topic might find it less valuable than those just getting started. 

Fossils for Kids is a good introduction to fossils and related fields for young readers.

Early Book Review: Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist by Linda Skeers

Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist by Linda Skeers is a nonfiction picturebook that is currently scheduled for release on July 1 2020. As a kid, Mary Anning loved hunting for fossils with her father. One day, that hobby led to an unexpected discovery: the skeleton of a creature no one had never seen before! Mary had unearthed a dinosaur fossil, the first to ever be discovered. Her find reshaped scientific beliefs about the natural world and led to the beginning of a brand new field of study: paleontology. For the rest of her life, Mary continued to make astonishing finds and her fossils are displayed in museums all across the world! The daring discoveries of Mary Anning not only changed the scientific world, but also helped change people’s attitudes towards women scientists.

Dinosaur Lady is a picturebook that not only talks about the early years and discoveries in paleontology, but how women were viewed in science, and to a certain degree still are. I liked the illustrations, they added a great deal of detail and heart to each page. I thought the information included was interesting and was accessible. I think the narrative and information were well balanced and should keep the reader's interest. I also liked the additional information that was included at the end of the book. I really enjoyed the read and think the book just might inspire kids interested in topic others might try to dissuade them from perusing to keep on studying and working towards their goals.

Dinosaur Lady is a engaging and informative book that would be a great addition to all libraries. Hopefully it will encourage more young scientists to follow their interests.

Book Review: In Search Of Dinosaurs: Find the Fossils: Identify the Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon

In Search Of Dinosaurs: Find the Fossils: Identify the Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon encourages readers to look out for dinosaur bones, footprints, and fossil feathers in this dinosaur dig site. Defore opening the gatefolds and uncovering the creatures to whom they once belonged, in 3 incredible, expansive panoramic scenes. Travel through Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous eras, hunting for fossils and then learning about each amazing prehistoric creature, before testing your knowledge with a fun dinosaur quiz. Grab your paleontologist’s tool kit and get stuck in with facts, stats, and colorful illustrations to amaze any young dinosaur enthusiast.

In Search Of Dinosaurs is a good non fiction introduction to fossil huntings and the eras when dinosaurs lived. I thought the break downs and information were very well done. The information was all valuable, but I think many dino obsessed young readers will already have some of this information down, but this is a good starting point for readers that are just discovering paleontology and dinosaurs. The illustrations were well done, giving the needed detail, but did not wow or amaze me with detail of vividness. I did like the short quiz at the end.

In Search Of Dinosaurs is basic non fiction resource for those looking to learn about dinosaurs and paleontology. It offers exactly what is expected by the title and description, but did not amaze me. 

Early Book Review: A Stegosaurus Would NOT Make a Good Pirate by Thomas Kingsley Troupe

A Stegosaurus Would NOT Make a Good Pirate by Thomas Kingsley Troupe is a picturebook that is currently scheduled for release on February 1 2018. Everyone has dreams, even dinosaurs! But not every dream can become reality. For example, the brachiosaurus would love to be a spy! But at 40 feet tall, he certainly would not blend in. And the T-rex aspires to be a knight. But how would she manage to pick up a sword with those tiny arms?  

A Stegosaurus Would NOT Make a Good Pirate is a picturebook that is good fun, with charming illustrations. I liked the dinosaur's attempts at being a good pirate, and how the tone gave the impression that he could laugh at himself while still being more than a little overconfident. I think the deliver of dinosaur facts along side the light hearted story make for a fun read that might get many re read requests. I also enjoyed the glossary and mini quiz at the end. The fact that the answers are hidden in the illustrations, and the quiz offers clues as to where young readers can find the answers, might spark a larger search for hidden information and encourage them to study pictures in other books to see if they can find information and clues. 

Early Book Review: Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones by Sara C. Levine, T.S. Spookytooth

Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones, written by Sara C. Levine and illustrated by T.S. Spookytooth, is currently scheduled for release on January 1 2018. What kind of dinosaur would you be if you had a bony ridge that rose up from the back of your skull and three horns poking up from the front? A triceratops! This lively picture book will keep readers guessing as they find out what how their bones are similar to and different from those of various dinosaur species.

Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones is a wonderful combination of imagination and education. This book not only teaches young readers about the bone structures of people and dinosaurs, it also encourages them to imagine how they might look as a dinosaur and how the similarities and differences make all creatures look. I also like that the human children included in the book are diverse, but not in a way that make the book appear to be trying to be that way.  I like the way questions were posed to the reader, inviting them to consider and imagine before more information is given to them. I like that there is further information, a glossary, and other helpful information included for the most engaged readers at the end of the book. This is a fun and visually attractive book that will capture the attention and interest of readers, and might encourage multiple reads and further research or imaginative play. 

Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones is an entertaining and interesting read. I think this book will be a big hit among dinosaur, nature, and imagination fans for all ages. 

Early Book Review: Sticks 'n' Stones 'n' Dinosaur Bones by Ted Enik, G.F. Newlan

Sticks 'n' Stones 'n' Dinosaur Bones written by Ted Enik and illustrated by G.F. Newlan is currently scheduled for release on September 28 2017. This is the first book in the Unhinged History series brings to life the best-known public spat in all of paleontology: the bitter rivalry between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh. This frenzy of discovery and one-upmanship—known today as the Bone Wars—was a gold rush–like scramble to find the most and “best” dinosaur fossils, thus bringing to glory to their respective home-base universities. Lively and witty rhymes plus wonderfully demented illustrations reveal how the paleontologists’ infamous rivalry began, and how—despite making genuine and lasting contributions to the field—their mutual obsession with outdoing one another spun out of control.

Sticks 'n' Stones 'n' Dinosaur Bones is a nonfiction picturebook in rhyme. I have always been interested in paleontology, and this book brought the initial rush to find and identify dinosaur bones to life. While there was some exaggerating and silliness to make the picturebook my engaging, the facts and fascinating tidbits of information I had not known were included as well. I think that this is a must read for children (and adults) interested in American history and paleontology.The trouble Cope and Marsh cause for themselves is entertaining, but rather sad, that adults would cheat and lie to gain notoriety for themselves and their employers, but it is not all that surprising when you see what some are still willing to do in the name of money or fame. I found the factual parts to be well written and accessible, and the story of Cope and Marsh's rivalry was entertaining and engaging. The artwork is just as entertaining and attention grabbing as the text and story, keeping readers turning pages. I think this would be a great addition to school and public library collections. It could inspire future scientists and historians as well as starting discussions on how rivalries can get out of hand and cause the participants more trouble than it is worth. 

Early Book Review: Weird Dinosaurs: The Strange New Fossils Challenging Everything We Thought We Knew by John Pickrell

Weird Dinosaurs: The Strange New Fossils Challenging Everything We Thought We Knew by John Pickrell is a new non fiction book that is currently scheduled for release on March 7 2017. From the outback of Australia to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and the savanna of Madagascar, award-winning science writer and dinosaur enthusiast John Pickrell embarks on a world tour of new finds, meeting the fossil hunters working at the frontier of discovery. He reveals the dwarf dinosaurs unearthed by an eccentric Transylvanian baron; an aquatic, crocodile-snouted carnivore bigger than T. Rex, which once lurked in North African waterways; a Chinese dinosaur with wings like a bat; and a Patagonian sauropod so enormous it weighed more than two commercial jet airliners.  Other surprising discoveries hail from Alaska, Siberia, Canada, Burma, and South Africa. Why did dinosaurs grow so huge? How did they spread across the world? Did they all have feathers? What do sauropods have in common with 1950s vacuum cleaners? The stuff of adventure movies and scientific revolutions, Weird Dinosaurs examines the latest breakthroughs and new technologies radically transforming our understanding of the distant past. Pickrell opens a vivid portal to a brand new age of fossil discovery, in which fossil hunters are routinely redefining what we know and how we think about prehistory’s most iconic and fascinating creatures.

Weird Dinosaurs is a well researched and written book for readers that have always loved dinosaurs, or have had their interest revived by other dinosaur lovers in their lives, or the news of new information and discoveries in the field. The. book is written with a nice blend of information and narrative text, giving life to the discoveries and the people involved in uncovering them. I was fascinated by the information, but am a reader that likes my non fiction more simply stated than narrative, I found myself wandering a bit.  However, this was an issue with my personal preference and reading style rather than anything the author did wrong. I really enjoyed discovering about the changing and growing knowledge and concepts that surrounds dinosaurs and our planet's history. The new techniques that the scientists are using, and the discoveries they have made possible are simply amazing. 

Weird Dinosaurs is an informative and entertaining text with a nice blend of narrative and scientific fact. Readers that do not like a little narrative to entertain and dramatize the facts a bit might not enjoy this as much as others. However, the facts and information included are simply fascinating.