The Fossil Girl :: Book Sharing Monday - Eva Varga

March 15, 2010
The Fossil Girl: Mary Anning’s Dinosaur Discovery
by Catherine Brighton


For the past few months, my kiddos have been interested in dinosaurs. They beg to watch every episode of PBS’ Dinosaur Train repeatedly. They frequently bring home books from the library about dinosaurs and are always asking questions about how dinosaurs lived, what they ate and what ultimately led to their extinction.

I am confidant in stating that they know more about dinosaurs then I do as I’ve never been very interested. Just the other day, Buddy introduced himself to a new friend and after stating his name said, “I’m a paleontologist.”

~~~
It is the year 1810, and ten year old Mary Anning and her brother Joe are scrambling over the cliffs of Lyme Regis looking for interesting things to sell. Suddenly Joe sees a strange giant head sticking out of the cliff –face. Mary can’t believe her eyes. The creature must be twenty feet long! Is it a giraffe? A gorilla? A crocodile? No one knows, but Mary is determined to get it out, even if it means risking life and limb.
Told in comic book style, this is a beautifully illustrated story about how one of the most influential fossil hunters literally stumbled into the scientific discipline that would make her world-famous. The lavish drawings and period detail serve to enhance the story of this amazing woman’s childhood. Many of Mary Anning’s discoveries are now on view at Natural History Museum throughout the world.

%d bloggers like this: