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Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon
The girl who found the first sea reptile fossil
Mary Anning loved to scour the shores of Lyme Regis, England, where she was born in 1799, for stone sea lilies and shells. Her father had taught her how to use the tools with which she dug into the sand and scraped at the stones that fell from the cliffs. And he had taught her how to look, to look hard, for "curiosities."
One day, when she was eleven, Mary Anning spotted some markings on a wide, flat stone. She chipped at it with her hammer and chisel until the lines of a tooth emerged--and then those of another tooth. Weeks of persistent effort yielded a face about four feet long. But what creature was this? Her brother called it a sea dragon.
Many months later, Mary Anning still had not unearthed what she only then learned was called a fossil. But she found out that her discovery was precious and that the painstaking effort to uncover traces of ancient life was profoundly important. Jeannine Atkins's sensitive and engaging portrait is strikingly illustrated by Michael Dooling, whose powerful paintings capture young Mary Anning's devotion to her work, and all the joy she found in it.
Mary Anning loved to scour the shores of Lyme Regis, England, where she was born in 1799, for stone sea lilies and shells. Her father had taught her how to use the tools with which she dug into the sand and scraped at the stones that fell from the cliffs. And he had taught her how to look, to look hard, for "curiosities."
One day, when she was eleven, Mary Anning spotted some markings on a wide, flat stone. She chipped at it with her hammer and chisel until the lines of a tooth emerged--and then those of another tooth. Weeks of persistent effort yielded a face about four feet long. But what creature was this? Her brother called it a sea dragon.
Many months later, Mary Anning still had not unearthed what she only then learned was called a fossil. But she found out that her discovery was precious and that the painstaking effort to uncover traces of ancient life was profoundly important. Jeannine Atkins's sensitive and engaging portrait is strikingly illustrated by Michael Dooling, whose powerful paintings capture young Mary Anning's devotion to her work, and all the joy she found in it.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 14, 1999
About the author
Jeannine Atkins
23 books51 followersJeannine Atkins is the author of Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science, Grasping Mysteries: Girls Who Loved Math, and Little Woman in Blue: A Novel of May Alcott. She teaches in the MFA program at Simmons College. You can learn more on her website at http://www.Jeannineatkins.com.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 14, 2010
Mary Anning was a young girl in early 19th century England when she discovered a so-called sea dragon (a complete fossilised skeleton of what the scientific community now refers to as an ichthyosaur, an ancient sea reptile). And while I do not know if Mary Anning was the first woman to have made a palaeontological discovery, it is now generally accepted that she was indeed the first individual to have discovered a complete skeleton of an ichthyosaur.
Jeannine Atkins Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon (with accompanying illustrations by Michael Dooling) describes Mary's momentous discovery in both an informative and emotionally satisfying style. I appreciate how the author glowingly and with subtle enthusiasm conveys both Mary Anning's curiosity and ingenuity, but also how supportive certain members of both her immediate family and the public seem to have been. Faced with the intensely critical attitudes of some members of her extended family (like Mary's outspoken Aunt Ruth), Mary's mother nevertheless is portrayed by Jeannine Atkins as being quite supportive of her daughter's ambitions, her curiosity (Mary must still out of necessity help around the house, but her mother never frowns upon or discourages her searches for "curiosities"). It is also both encouraging and actually wonderfully modern and avant garde that Mary's mother is seemingly more concerned with her daughter's physical safety than with "proper" ladies' fashion, and that she therefore insists on Mary donning a gentleman's top hat on her expeditions, it being sturdier than a straw bonnet (to guard against potential rock falls in particular). Equally important for me is the fact that Lord Henley also does not simply take over Mary's discovery, that he is encouraging, without being in any way majorly interfering. And Lord Henley, who is, after all, a member of the English aristocracy, is also never described as by the author talking "down" to Mary, he is not patronising, but approaches her as an equal; actually, he approaches Mary Anning as a fellow scientist.
Mary Anning's discoveries (as well as her biography, her life story as presented by Jeannine Atkins) also manage to astutely and with power demonstrate to modern children (well, at least to those children living in North America and Western Europe) just how fortunate many of them truly are. I often tend to believe that many of today's children seem to take standard and basic education as well as the pursuit of education very much for granted, so detailing how Mary Anning had to quit school after the death of her father (in order to help earn money for the family) is an excellent and thought-provoking reminder, made even more powerful by the fact that the author does not continuously belabour this point. However, I believe that the most important, the most essential message portrayed in and by Mary and the Sea Dragon is an invitation to follow one's curiosity, to follow one's dreams. And this is thankfully directed by Jeannine Atkins at all children, and not just girls. Mary is a girl, but her gender does not really play that important a role in Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon, for above all and first and foremost, she is described as a curious, scientifically interested, talented human being.
A much appreciated and added educational bonus is the informative author's note. Not only does Jeannine Atkins do a great job expanding on Mary Anning's life, she makes an important comment on how modern palaeontology owes much to early amateur collectors (especially children), whose findings raised questions about the earth's past and started to challenge and question traditional Bible-based theories of the former. And while some modern scientists do rather strongly believe that only trained professionals should be allowed to collect and excavate fossils, others do acknowledge and accept the role played by early amateur enthusiasts such as Mary Anning.
Now I really do wish I could give Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon five stars, but I have to agree with my GR friend Kathryn's objections to the illustrations. While I love Michael Dooling's evocative sea landscapes, I do not think that he has managed to equally successfully capture the essence of some of the human characters portrayed. The adult characters are generally illustrated well enough, but Mary Anning and some of the other child characters appear as much too grown-up, especially with regard to their facial expressions. But all in all, I was quite pleasantly surprised by Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon and would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the early history of palaeontology, or anyone wanting to encourage and/or promote palaeontological interest in children.
Jeannine Atkins Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon (with accompanying illustrations by Michael Dooling) describes Mary's momentous discovery in both an informative and emotionally satisfying style. I appreciate how the author glowingly and with subtle enthusiasm conveys both Mary Anning's curiosity and ingenuity, but also how supportive certain members of both her immediate family and the public seem to have been. Faced with the intensely critical attitudes of some members of her extended family (like Mary's outspoken Aunt Ruth), Mary's mother nevertheless is portrayed by Jeannine Atkins as being quite supportive of her daughter's ambitions, her curiosity (Mary must still out of necessity help around the house, but her mother never frowns upon or discourages her searches for "curiosities"). It is also both encouraging and actually wonderfully modern and avant garde that Mary's mother is seemingly more concerned with her daughter's physical safety than with "proper" ladies' fashion, and that she therefore insists on Mary donning a gentleman's top hat on her expeditions, it being sturdier than a straw bonnet (to guard against potential rock falls in particular). Equally important for me is the fact that Lord Henley also does not simply take over Mary's discovery, that he is encouraging, without being in any way majorly interfering. And Lord Henley, who is, after all, a member of the English aristocracy, is also never described as by the author talking "down" to Mary, he is not patronising, but approaches her as an equal; actually, he approaches Mary Anning as a fellow scientist.
Mary Anning's discoveries (as well as her biography, her life story as presented by Jeannine Atkins) also manage to astutely and with power demonstrate to modern children (well, at least to those children living in North America and Western Europe) just how fortunate many of them truly are. I often tend to believe that many of today's children seem to take standard and basic education as well as the pursuit of education very much for granted, so detailing how Mary Anning had to quit school after the death of her father (in order to help earn money for the family) is an excellent and thought-provoking reminder, made even more powerful by the fact that the author does not continuously belabour this point. However, I believe that the most important, the most essential message portrayed in and by Mary and the Sea Dragon is an invitation to follow one's curiosity, to follow one's dreams. And this is thankfully directed by Jeannine Atkins at all children, and not just girls. Mary is a girl, but her gender does not really play that important a role in Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon, for above all and first and foremost, she is described as a curious, scientifically interested, talented human being.
A much appreciated and added educational bonus is the informative author's note. Not only does Jeannine Atkins do a great job expanding on Mary Anning's life, she makes an important comment on how modern palaeontology owes much to early amateur collectors (especially children), whose findings raised questions about the earth's past and started to challenge and question traditional Bible-based theories of the former. And while some modern scientists do rather strongly believe that only trained professionals should be allowed to collect and excavate fossils, others do acknowledge and accept the role played by early amateur enthusiasts such as Mary Anning.
Now I really do wish I could give Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon five stars, but I have to agree with my GR friend Kathryn's objections to the illustrations. While I love Michael Dooling's evocative sea landscapes, I do not think that he has managed to equally successfully capture the essence of some of the human characters portrayed. The adult characters are generally illustrated well enough, but Mary Anning and some of the other child characters appear as much too grown-up, especially with regard to their facial expressions. But all in all, I was quite pleasantly surprised by Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon and would strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the early history of palaeontology, or anyone wanting to encourage and/or promote palaeontological interest in children.
July 27, 2010
I finally had a chance to read one of the other Mary Anning picture books, Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon. I hate to say it, but I kind of put off reading it because I was so unimpressed with the cover art. I think it makes Mary look like an adult (and a boring one, at that!) and I must say that I was not really a fan of the illustrations throughout the book. Some of them do make her look more age-appropriate, but I just didn't feel there was a lot of warmth or excitement to them and I think that the colorful illustrations in Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning are far superior.
That said, I did really enjoy the storytelling in this version of Mary's story. I think it is gentler in a lot of ways (we don't have the tragedy of her dad dying as something that is really present, he is more of a fond memory for her--and there is zero mention of the lightning strike, which I thought is kind of a bummer as that was SO interesting to me!) and it definitely captures how Mary is a bit of a loner, but also how passionate and dedicated she is to her pursuits. I also like how the mom is such a positive influence for her, as is the memory of her father, helping her be herself and follow her dreams. There is a good Author's Note in this one, too, and it further highlights the point about how sometimes today we believe only experts can find dinosaurs, but that there are children even today who pursue fossils or even find them by accident. I think that is very exciting for kids who like dinosaurs.
That said, I did really enjoy the storytelling in this version of Mary's story. I think it is gentler in a lot of ways (we don't have the tragedy of her dad dying as something that is really present, he is more of a fond memory for her--and there is zero mention of the lightning strike, which I thought is kind of a bummer as that was SO interesting to me!) and it definitely captures how Mary is a bit of a loner, but also how passionate and dedicated she is to her pursuits. I also like how the mom is such a positive influence for her, as is the memory of her father, helping her be herself and follow her dreams. There is a good Author's Note in this one, too, and it further highlights the point about how sometimes today we believe only experts can find dinosaurs, but that there are children even today who pursue fossils or even find them by accident. I think that is very exciting for kids who like dinosaurs.
August 14, 2010
I recently read another picture book about Mary Anning that I enjoyed even more than this one: Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning, and I’m about to read another, and someday I’d like to read an adult biography about her because I find her fascinating.
This book covers a very short time in Mary’s life, so I was particularly grateful for the author’s note at the end of the book. If I hadn’t read the other book and if I’d known nothing about Mary before reading this book, I don’t think I’d have understood the importance of her story or understood enough about her to fully appreciate her. Still, it’s a worthy addition to books about this girl, and I’m glad that I read it.
The best thing about this version of her life is that in addition to showing Mary’s passion and talent and importance in history, it highlighted the wondrous importance of having supportive parents.
This book covers a very short time in Mary’s life, so I was particularly grateful for the author’s note at the end of the book. If I hadn’t read the other book and if I’d known nothing about Mary before reading this book, I don’t think I’d have understood the importance of her story or understood enough about her to fully appreciate her. Still, it’s a worthy addition to books about this girl, and I’m glad that I read it.
The best thing about this version of her life is that in addition to showing Mary’s passion and talent and importance in history, it highlighted the wondrous importance of having supportive parents.
April 24, 2015
Personal reaction:
I really liked this book because it has a strong female character. It tells of a girl who was ambitious and hard-working. The illustrations were life like which helped tell the story.
Purpose:
I would use this book in the classroom to teach children about Mary Anning who discovered fossils and was one of the first persons to make a life out of doing this kind of work. This book had great illustrations that helped tell the story and the text was not too long or boring to follow. It had challenging vocabulary, so this book might be for a 2nd grader. Kids could read this book about a strong girl who followed her dreams and worked hard to accomplish them despite her upbringing.
I really liked this book because it has a strong female character. It tells of a girl who was ambitious and hard-working. The illustrations were life like which helped tell the story.
Purpose:
I would use this book in the classroom to teach children about Mary Anning who discovered fossils and was one of the first persons to make a life out of doing this kind of work. This book had great illustrations that helped tell the story and the text was not too long or boring to follow. It had challenging vocabulary, so this book might be for a 2nd grader. Kids could read this book about a strong girl who followed her dreams and worked hard to accomplish them despite her upbringing.
December 30, 2017
Wonderful introduction to the work of Mary Anning, the godmother of Paleontology.
As a young girl, Mary would look for shells by the seashore to help supplement her family's income. If that sounds familiar, that's because the children's rhyme was invented about her: "She sells seashells by the seashore".
The artwork is magnificent, very painterly with each double spread looking like an oil painting.
Highly recommended for any children wanting to learn more about the early history of fossil finds. Or for adults fond of beautifully illustrated children's books.
As a young girl, Mary would look for shells by the seashore to help supplement her family's income. If that sounds familiar, that's because the children's rhyme was invented about her: "She sells seashells by the seashore".
The artwork is magnificent, very painterly with each double spread looking like an oil painting.
Highly recommended for any children wanting to learn more about the early history of fossil finds. Or for adults fond of beautifully illustrated children's books.
January 7, 2022
I am a huge fan of books that introduce girls to the excitement of science and scientists. In that vein, I decided to read Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon by Jeannine Atkins (illustrated by Michael Dooling). Unfortunately this book did not live up to my exceptions as Atkins focuses primarily on family, poverty, adventure, and Anning’s hat, giving little time to the significance of Anning’s discoveries or to the chauvinistic response from the male scientists. It is not until the afterword of the book that Atkins addresses some of the barriers Anning faced.
In fairness, let me point out the age range suggested by Amazon Books for this publication is 5-10 years old. Additionally it was written in 1999. Still, I feel that the author overlooked the abilities of her young audience to understand some of the societal problems facing Anning.
In fairness, let me point out the age range suggested by Amazon Books for this publication is 5-10 years old. Additionally it was written in 1999. Still, I feel that the author overlooked the abilities of her young audience to understand some of the societal problems facing Anning.
Read
February 6, 2015I read this because I am looking for a children's book about Mary Anning to read to kids as part of a day-camp I'm putting together for the YMCA.
More than any of the books I've read so far, this novel hammers home the idea that anyone can practice paleontology if they just maintain the enthusiasm. That's the message I really want the kids to take home, so that makes this book an obvious contender. There are some issues though. The language and tone of the book is going to be difficult for the littler kids. What is the likelihood that a five-year-old will know what a snakestone is? What is the likelihood that they will be willing to wait until the epilogue of the book to come to understand it. Also, I think this book is probably less historically accurate than The Fossil Girl: Mary Anning's Dinosaur Discovery but I'm not sure of that. Also, I'm willing to sacrifice historical accuracy if the message is on point. The illustrations are beautiful, but there aren't enough of the ichthyosaur, and the book hardly mentions the other amazing animals Anning discovered. In a way, this is good, because it doesn't overwhelm the kiddos, but the kids I'm planning the camp for are going to be interested specifically in prehistoric animals, and I want to give them that sense of awe that we all get when we see a picture of what an ichthyosaur actually looked like.
More than any of the books I've read so far, this novel hammers home the idea that anyone can practice paleontology if they just maintain the enthusiasm. That's the message I really want the kids to take home, so that makes this book an obvious contender. There are some issues though. The language and tone of the book is going to be difficult for the littler kids. What is the likelihood that a five-year-old will know what a snakestone is? What is the likelihood that they will be willing to wait until the epilogue of the book to come to understand it. Also, I think this book is probably less historically accurate than The Fossil Girl: Mary Anning's Dinosaur Discovery but I'm not sure of that. Also, I'm willing to sacrifice historical accuracy if the message is on point. The illustrations are beautiful, but there aren't enough of the ichthyosaur, and the book hardly mentions the other amazing animals Anning discovered. In a way, this is good, because it doesn't overwhelm the kiddos, but the kids I'm planning the camp for are going to be interested specifically in prehistoric animals, and I want to give them that sense of awe that we all get when we see a picture of what an ichthyosaur actually looked like.
February 9, 2019
Mary Anning loved to scour the shores of Lyme Regis, England, where she was born in 1799, for stone sea lilies and shells. Her father had taught her how to use the tools with which she dug into the sand and scraped at the stones that fell from the cliffs. And he had taught her how to look, to look hard, for "curiosities."
One day, when she was eleven, Mary Anning spotted some markings on a wide, flat stone. She chipped at it with her hammer and chisel until the lines of a tooth emerged--and then those of another tooth. Weeks of persistent effort yielded a face about four feet long. But what creature was this? Her brother called it a sea dragon.
Many months later, Mary Anning still had not unearthed what she only then learned was called a fossil. But she found out that her discovery was precious and that the painstaking effort to uncover traces of ancient life was profoundly important. Jeannine Atkins's sensitive and engaging portrait is strikingly illustrated by Michael Dooling, whose powerful paintings capture young Mary Anning's devotion to her work, and all the joy she found in it.
One day, when she was eleven, Mary Anning spotted some markings on a wide, flat stone. She chipped at it with her hammer and chisel until the lines of a tooth emerged--and then those of another tooth. Weeks of persistent effort yielded a face about four feet long. But what creature was this? Her brother called it a sea dragon.
Many months later, Mary Anning still had not unearthed what she only then learned was called a fossil. But she found out that her discovery was precious and that the painstaking effort to uncover traces of ancient life was profoundly important. Jeannine Atkins's sensitive and engaging portrait is strikingly illustrated by Michael Dooling, whose powerful paintings capture young Mary Anning's devotion to her work, and all the joy she found in it.
June 7, 2014
I don’t recall reading anything about young paleontologist Mary Anning before this book; now I have several more on order from the library. Such a fascinating tale of a young girl, who with no training managed to become proficient at unearthing fossils. The narration was well written with beautiful illustrations, making this a fantastic picture book to share for fun or for additional science curriculum.
May 29, 2019
I used this for a 2nd Grade Reading Group. We were looking at the Five Mindset Stances: Empathy, Flexibility, Resilience, Persistence and Optimism. This week was Persistence - Sticking with something even when it is challenging. Being persistent means you try and try again even when it feels hard. If something feels "hard" it might take time and effort.
April 26, 2024
Themes: Curiosity, discovery, gender equality, nature
Tones: Adventurous, wonder, educational, inspiring
The book is about fossil collector, scientist and palaeontologist Mary Anning, a real life fossil hunter, and follows her story in finding the remains of, what she thought was, a sea dragon. She chiselled through the rock and discovered the fossil, at just twelve years old. An offer was made of the fossil and Mary worked alone again to chisel through the ground to try and save the fossil rock. Many tourists came to see the fossil and Mary Anning continued to find many fossils, becoming one of the most success and well known fossil hunter.
This book has a multitude of uses within the classroom. Not only a direct link with Biology and Geology in discovering fossils but cross curricular activities can be done too. Fossil hunting simulations can be made, detailed anatomical drawings of species, scientific journals. Timelines can be made about Mary Anning’s life and her contributions, a newspaper article can be written about her discoveries to show the surge of interest in the field of palaeontology and much more. There is a direct link in the National Curriculum discussing Mary Anning in the year 6 science curriculum.
The illustrations show Mary’s sense of curiosity and adventurer really well with her body language, compared to the other characters. The illustration especially with her and her hammer and chisel and her father’s speech ‘Don’t ever stop looking Mary,’ kept me in awe with her perseverance. I also love how the book teaches what fossils are, and makes it a learning experience as well as a story to follow along with. It really feels like we’re on this journey with Mary Anning.
Great story to encourage a love for science and give appreciation to a female palaeontologist whose work is still used today and pioneered aspects of fossil science and palaeontology through her discoveries.
Tones: Adventurous, wonder, educational, inspiring
The book is about fossil collector, scientist and palaeontologist Mary Anning, a real life fossil hunter, and follows her story in finding the remains of, what she thought was, a sea dragon. She chiselled through the rock and discovered the fossil, at just twelve years old. An offer was made of the fossil and Mary worked alone again to chisel through the ground to try and save the fossil rock. Many tourists came to see the fossil and Mary Anning continued to find many fossils, becoming one of the most success and well known fossil hunter.
This book has a multitude of uses within the classroom. Not only a direct link with Biology and Geology in discovering fossils but cross curricular activities can be done too. Fossil hunting simulations can be made, detailed anatomical drawings of species, scientific journals. Timelines can be made about Mary Anning’s life and her contributions, a newspaper article can be written about her discoveries to show the surge of interest in the field of palaeontology and much more. There is a direct link in the National Curriculum discussing Mary Anning in the year 6 science curriculum.
The illustrations show Mary’s sense of curiosity and adventurer really well with her body language, compared to the other characters. The illustration especially with her and her hammer and chisel and her father’s speech ‘Don’t ever stop looking Mary,’ kept me in awe with her perseverance. I also love how the book teaches what fossils are, and makes it a learning experience as well as a story to follow along with. It really feels like we’re on this journey with Mary Anning.
Great story to encourage a love for science and give appreciation to a female palaeontologist whose work is still used today and pioneered aspects of fossil science and palaeontology through her discoveries.
August 24, 2024
I seem to have been more impressed by this book than most. I’d better explain why.
Firstly, the illustrations are highly appropriate for the time and place. I can feel the raw winds of an English seashore in winter when I look at the muted, blue, green and black washes.
Secondly, it is that extremely rare biography: one of a female who is memorable for more than being married to somebody important, or for doing something that would not rate a mention for anyone else. Not that it rams home the point: the text is fairly short and should present no great challenge to any child able to read basic sentences. It should interest any child familiar with the topic of dinosaurs , or who likes messing around outside in the dirt.
Firstly, the illustrations are highly appropriate for the time and place. I can feel the raw winds of an English seashore in winter when I look at the muted, blue, green and black washes.
Secondly, it is that extremely rare biography: one of a female who is memorable for more than being married to somebody important, or for doing something that would not rate a mention for anyone else. Not that it rams home the point: the text is fairly short and should present no great challenge to any child able to read basic sentences. It should interest any child familiar with the topic of dinosaurs , or who likes messing around outside in the dirt.
January 12, 2020
This story focuses on Mary Anning finding her first large fossil (what turned out to be an ichthyosaur), so it's all in her childhood, when she's 10-12 or so. The story really emphasizes her patience and the virtues of looking beyond/beneath the surface.
The back matter briefly describes the rest of her life.
The back matter briefly describes the rest of her life.
July 23, 2020
Great story, but I found some of the details contradict details in other juvenile books about Mary Anning. Still, a good book with great illustrations. After reading this, read another book about Mary for better details.
December 27, 2021
Wow, a 12 year old dug out a dinosaur fossil by herself back in the early 1800s. Neat! Not a lot of extra info about Mary, just a little bit in the end note.
March 18, 2013
It’s the story of a little girl whose father taught her to be a wise observer. The family owned a little shop by the sea in Lyme Regis, England that sold “curiosities” and part of Mary’s responsibilities was to find interesting things to sell in the shop. Her father has died and it is important that she and her brother find good things to sell. One day she discovers what seemed to be a row of teeth, and as she dug and chiseled it became larger and larger, appearing to be what folks called a sea dragon. The tale of this find, one of the largest ever at that time and Mary’s persistence as a female fossil hunter is inspiring. The pictures reflect a cloudy sky, wet and wild landscape, what one often thinks of on the ocean in England. They are beautiful.
January 13, 2020
How Mary supported her family after her father died, by finding "curiosities" (fossils) and selling them to tourists. Inspired by her father's words, she finds a large fossil that she works on for days and weeks and earns her more money than she ever imagined.
See also Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist and Mary Anning.
See also Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist and Mary Anning.
February 16, 2013
An excellent true account of a young girl who, in the early 1800s, searched for fossils and discovered the first ichthyosaur (marine reptile) skeleton at the beach in England. Her discovery provided evidence for extinct species. She went on to become a respected paleontologist. This is a good book for girls who may have the impression that dinosaurs and paleontology are only fields for boys. The illustrations are attractive. The book could have been enhanced by including a picture (photo or illustration) of the ichthyosaur skeleton she found.
November 23, 2014
Factually inaccurate. Children don't need fiction added to non-fiction for it to be enjoyable. There are better books about Mary Anning for children. I've read several Mary Anning books for children (and adults), but the best for children was Mary Anning Fossil Hunter by Sally M Walker.
July 13, 2016
AMAZING! Every preteen girl should read this book. Age 12 and she worked on uncovering this ichthyosaur for a year!!! I've always loved Mary Canning--and this is the best children's book about her by far!
September 19, 2010
Great story!
September 21, 2010
good book
Read
September 19, 2012AD560L
October 24, 2012
Different focus - introduction to Mary Anning.
July 22, 2017
This was a very simple biography. I was hoping to use it both for 4th grade fossils and biographies, but it doesn't do a great job of either. It might work for really low readers in 4th. Lower grade kids interested in fossils or amazing kids or particularly girls would enjoy it.
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