(1) K-3 What did dinosaurs really look like? The best attempts to answer this question are constantly changing. Rubin shows how each major find in paleontology, as well as the techniques and creativity used by paleoartists, have produced improvements in scientifically grounded artistic illustrations. For the iguanodon, unearthed in the early nineteenth century, each subsequent discovery of new fossils, including complete skeletons, was a big help (and one discovery showed that what was thought to be a horn was really a thumb-spike). But equally important were the theoretical advances that led scientists to think of dinosaurs as more akin to modern birds than to modern reptiles. The illustrations for the most recent theories are some of the most exciting, adding colorful flesh, wattles, and feathers reminiscent of the variations in birds. Rubin's pencil, watercolor, and "digital collages" (from the copyright page: "The artist is not entirely sure what to call all this, but 'digital collage' sort of makes sense") portray the paleontologists and artists of each era alongside a rendition of the time period's signature dinosaur, with humorous asides from both species. A helpful text box accompanies the dinosaur portraits and includes a list of their key features, facilitating comparisons across the history of paleontology. Endnotes provide additional backstory as well as source illustrations from prominent historical and contemporary paleoartists.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Alexander Vidal. Approximately one hundred fifty years ago, and sixty-five million years after the dinosaurs' extinction, scientists discovered fossil treasure troves of bone beds in the western United States. Rather than combine their knowledge and discoveries, two well-known paleontologists, O. C. Marsh and Edward Cope, once friendly colleagues, vied for top billing in the scientific community. They infiltrated, sabotaged, and even destroyed one another's dig sites. They furiously collected bones, identified new species, and published papers. And they both died lonely old men. Vidal's earth-tone palette visually sets the scene for the numerous digs, while a gloomy gray dominates his compositions of the scientists away from these sites, where their distaste for each other plays out in public. He renders his digital dinosaurs and other creatures to reflect what nineteenth-century scientists knew about them, underscoring details from the text. Kurtz effectively creates the escalating tension between Marsh and Cope as she alternates each scientist's action with the other's reaction. In conclusion, she points out that the public was the true winner of this "war," which produced new discoveries and museum exhibits of the hundred and thirty species the two collectively identified. Rounding out this clear and intriguing account are author and illustrator notes, a bibliography, and suggestions for further reading.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(1) 4-6 Selznick elegantly intertwines pictures and words to tell the macro story of the natural world through the micro perspective of two sycamore seeds. Louise and Merwin are siblings who occupy the same seed ball but possess two distinct personalities. Louise is a starry-eyed dreamer, while Merwin is a pragmatist. When a stampede of dinosaurs forces the siblings' benevolent tree mother to disperse her seeds before they are trampled, a multi-millennial saga begins. Plant and plant-adjacent organisms are personified, often possessing personalities reflective of their roles in nature--for example, mushrooms serve as communicative "Ambassadors" in the book the way actual mycorrhizal fungi connect forest root systems. Louise and Merwin encounter a range of ancient flora and fauna as they themselves work to "put down roots." A massive time jump to the present day, along with a stunning portrayal of the planet's formation (from Earth's perspective), reveals the true meaning of Louise and Merwin's journey: that life is a gift, fragile and in need of care and protection. Selznick's control of narrative, pacing, and book design is idiosyncratic and masterful. Fluid shifts between prose and double-page spreads of accomplished pencil illustrations are clear and effective, ranging from entire chapters in prose to passages alternating between text and image with every page-turn to sustained sequences of images. The afterword includes annotated notes on the real science found throughout, a selected biography, and backstory on the book's origin (it was originally conceived as a screenplay for a Spielberg film). Ambitious and poignant while still, ultimately, hopeful.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) 4-6 Haven West doesn't understand why her mother is always disappearing--either outside or into the bathroom--or why she herself sees prehistoric creatures in the Texas desert that surrounds her home, but no one else can. She's also not sure why her older sister, Margie, is irritable all the time, although Margie's sensory processing disorder and the way she steps up to keep the household running might have something to do with it. Rye, whose family just moved in nearby, wants to be friends, and his support comes in handy as Haven starts to unravel the mysteries of her family, which bend toward the supernatural. When Mom goes missing for good, Haven, Margie, and Rye--with the help of Margie's provisional driver's license and Rye's father's food truck--set off on a trans-Texas road trip that leads to plenty of answers, both about Haven's family and about her own identity and powers. The tone is slightly whimsical, even as the book delves into serious topics, an effective blend that keeps the plot moving and doesn't let the drama become overwhelming. The characters are likable and authentic, and the resolution is satisfying.

Reviewer: Sarah Rettger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(3) 4-6 Mary Anning, the nineteenth-century paleontologist who supported her family by selling fossils that she discovered near her seaside home in Great Britain, gets the full biographical treatment in this clearly written chapter book. Sketches from Anning's letters, pertinent archival artwork, a portrait of Anning, and photos of her fossils offer a complementary visual account. The narrative contextualizes the kind of education Anning would have received and the constraints of her poverty and social class, and emphasizes her abilities and knowledge despite her lack of either formal training or recognition from male authorities. An author's note, timeline, glossary, bibliography, and index (unseen) are included in the extensive back matter.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(1) 4-6 "Evolution is a journey, not a destination." The paths and branches of human evolution, from our primate ancestors to Homo sapiens, are thoroughly covered over seven chapters (with titles like "We Get Swelled Heads" and "We Invent ­Barbecue"). The book shows how physical traits, social behaviors, intelligence and empathy, and the ability to teach and talk afforded advantages to various hominid species. Turner (Crow Smarts, rev. 11/16) is a consummate storyteller: her steady pace through millions of years of the human evolutionary line is buoyed by an amused stance, joke-filled footnotes, well-timed shifts into second person, and modern-day analogies attuned to a middle-grade audience. At the same time, she is meticulous in emphasizing the main underlying concepts of evolutionary science: her terms are precise, her representations of scientific knowledge clearly differentiate between hypothesis and established fact, and she confronts misconceptions head on (see especially a powerful statement about the unscientific construct of race: "race is a cultural construct, not a biological reality"). The main text includes numerous diagrams and maps; photographs of landscapes, fossils, artifacts, and modern animals; and artistic interpretations of long-extinct species. It's followed by another fifty pages of notes and resources, timelines, and a glossary.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alexandra Bye. Growing up in South Dakota in the early twentieth century, Ruth Mason was curious about the "bones" she collected in her backyard. Decades of inquiries to museums and universities yielded no results until finally, in 1979, a fossil hunter arrived and the incredible fossil beds (at what became Ruth Mason Quarry) were uncovered. Ninety-nine different kinds of dinosaur fossils and ten complete skeletons went to museums all around the world. Cartoon-like digital images of Mason at different ages in her prairie home will sustain reader interest in this (partly fictionalized) biography, and although the text occasionally conflates fossils and bones, its message of persistence will play well. An author's note and bibliography round out this light fare.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maris Wicks. Mary Anning (1799–1847) loved "treasure hunting" with her father and brother along the storm-pounded cliffs of their seaside English hometown, Lyme Regis. The treasures were fossilized shell and bone "curios" they'd sell to tourists. After their father died, her brother discovered what he thought was a giant crocodile head, but it was Mary, at just thirteen, who painstakingly uncovered the entire body. The skeleton (which she thought looked like a dragon) made newspaper headlines before being sold and displayed in a museum and named an "ichthyosaur" (fish lizard). During her lifetime, self-taught Anning discovered five additional extinct creatures, including two species of plesiosaurs. Though she rarely received proper credit at the time, today she is considered the "mother of paleontology." Marsh's mainly upbeat, child-centered text is complemented by Wicks's (Primates, rev. 5/13; Astronauts, rev. 5/20) comic illustration style. Bold pencil outlines and vibrant, digitally colored hues almost pop off the page. Wicks incorporates a few graphic-novel staples--dynamic character expressions, sound effects, and speech bubbles--to add playful touches to the story. Also noteworthy are the recurring luminescent drawings outlined in white that denote Anning's imaginings, whether of extinct creatures she hopes to (or does) discover or of her deceased father watching over her. Back matter includes more details about Anning's life, quick facts about "Mary's dragons" (also creatively featured on the endpapers), information on "How to Become a Paleontologist," and a selected bibliography.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2022

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Matt Huynh. For many years, people in northern Nebraska found fossilized bones so often around a certain hillside that they called it Bone Hill. Over the course of several decades, multiple teams of scientists came to discover a treasure trove of complete animal skeletons fossilized in the ashy ground surrounding Bone Hill. But the fossils were so delicate that, instead of transferring them to a lab somewhere, workers built a lab around the hill, creating the space that would become the Ashfall Fossil Beds, a state park where visitors can still view scientists at work. Stevens starts by describing the ancient creatures that roamed Ashfall, then discusses the supervolcano whose ash was the animals' demise. With this intriguing hook in place, she moves on to the scientists' work to discover the mysteries behind the abundant fossil remains at Ashfall. Black-and-white photos alternate with Huynh's comic-style spot- and full-page art to bring the scenes to life. Stevens's light tone ("How did the researchers know the young rhinos' ages? They couldn't very well ask them. But they could [and did] check their teeth"), short chapters, and plenty of white space should appeal to many young fossil-hounds, although excessive detail in some places may leave less-enthralled readers in the dust. Words in bold appear throughout, defined in a glossary at the back; an author's note, resources for further study, and an index are also appended.

Reviewer: Sam Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Florencia Gigena. The paleontologist authors take readers step-by-step through the process of unearthing, transporting, and assembling a titanosaur skeleton they discovered. Additional definitions and facts are found at the bottoms or sides of the pages. Gigena's art (which appears to be pencil and watercolor) skillfully conveys the immensity of the fossils. Small photographs of the authors and their team members at work are found throughout.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) YA In mid-1800s America, a frenzy to acquire giant fossilized bones was primarily defined by two early paleontologists seemingly motivated more by selfish desires than altruistic efforts to set the natural history record straight. By providing alternate chapters for each man, Noyes reinforces their animosity by showing both sides, allowing readers to participate in the volley of their arguments. Deep green used in the page design suggests a primordial atmosphere. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(4) K-3 Super Simple Earth Investigations series. After a brief introduction to each earth science topic, readers are provided with instructions for activities that demonstrate the concepts. The activities vary in quality: some capture the science well and prompt good questions, others are merely art projects with few connections to the underlying science. Photographs of children engaged in each step of the activities are helpful. A quiz is included. Glos. Review covers these Super Simple Earth Investigations titles: Super Simple Earthquake Projects, Super Simple Fossil Projects, Super Simple Mineral Projects, Super Simple Rock Cycle Projects, Super Simple Volcano Projects, and Super Simple Weather Projects.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Let's Investigate with Nate series. Illustrated by Wes Hargis. PBS host/scientist Ball (in cartoon form) and a group of adventurous children travel back in time from a science museum to the Mesozoic era to return a wayward dinosaur to its rightful period. The main text briefly describes conditions in different geologic periods while dialogue bubbles convey the slight fictional frame story; one student's journal pages provide additional facts. A fossil-dig activity is appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Paleontologist series. Focusing on animals from different prehistoric periods, these books describe what scientists infer about the creatures' physical features, behavioral traits, and habitats. Helpful comparisons to coexisting species, including predators, underscore their unique characteristics. Illustrations include awkward computer-generated images of dinosaurs on photographic backgrounds as well as diagrams and pictures of fossils. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Paleontologist titles: American Mastodon and Brachiosaurus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Paleontologist series. Focusing on animals from different prehistoric periods, these books describe what scientists infer about the creatures' physical features, behavioral traits, and habitats. Helpful comparisons to coexisting species, including predators, underscore their unique characteristics. Illustrations include awkward computer-generated images of dinosaurs on photographic backgrounds as well as diagrams and pictures of fossils. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Paleontologist titles: American Mastodon and Brachiosaurus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Our Extreme Earth series. These small-trim books for very young readers present basic introductions to earth science topics. A sentence or two on each page defines processes or materials, with emphasis on key vocabulary words. Colorful (uncaptioned) photographs are fairly well matched to the accompanying text. Each book ends with an image and brief profile of a scientist from the related field and a question for further thought. Glos. Review covers these SandCastle: Our Extreme Earth titles: Earthquakes, Fossils, Minerals, The Rock Cycle, Weather, and Volcanoes.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 In this updated edition, Gibbons describes seven dinosaur groups (prosauropods, theropods, sauropods, stegosaurs, ankylosaurs, ceratopsians, and ornithopods), pointing out common features, habits, and other interesting facts. Her signature illustrations, amiably sketchlike yet accurate, portray mainly non-scary-looking dinosaurs as well as the paleontologists who study their fossil remains. Useful phonetic pronunciations accompany the dinosaur names.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. On a school trip to the natural history museum, Kimmy, who loves science and dinosaurs, is silenced when her male classmate scoffs, "Girls aren't scientists." With support from teacher Mr. Tiffin and plenty of inspiring evidence to the contrary, Kimmy finds her voice. In Karas's friendly gouache and pencil illustrations, the class wanders grand halls and awe-inspiring fossil displays as the drama unfolds.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Earth Detectives series. Olson's cursory introductions to different earth-science disciplines first define each field, then shift to discussions of the scientific research and methods used. One famous historical scientist is always profiled, then the laboratory and field work of today's practitioners are described; accompanying photographs feature the landforms and earth materials discussed plus important scientific tools. Back matter offers career advice and tests readers' comprehension. Glos. Review covers these Earth Detectives titles: Exploring Earthquakes, Exploring Fossils, Exploring Minerals, Exploring the Rock Cycle, Exploring Volcanoes, and Exploring Weather.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Alison Carver. Poetic text describes an Ice Age beluga whale's life with her pod and her (somewhat jarring) death; Charlotte's fossilized bones are discovered 11,500 years later in 1849 Vermont. How the fossils helped scientists understand ways the land had changed makes for interesting reading, but concluding messages from the bones ("'Time goes by fast,' they say") is a melodramatic touch. Extensive notes provide additional information. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson