What do you think?
Rate this book
Barnum's Bones
Barnum Brown's (1873-1963) parents named him after the circus icon P.T. Barnum, hoping that he would do something extraordinary--and he did! As a paleonotologist for the American Museum of Natural History, he discovered the first documented skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, as well as most of the other dinosaurs on display there today.
An appealing and fun picture book biography, with zany and stunning illustrations by Boris Kulikov, BARNUM'S BONES captures the spirit of this remarkable man.
An appealing and fun picture book biography, with zany and stunning illustrations by Boris Kulikov, BARNUM'S BONES captures the spirit of this remarkable man.
Paperback
First published May 22, 2012
About the author
Tracey E. Fern
11 books12 followersWhen I started my own family, I began to write stories for children’s magazines. One day, I found myself driving to the library to help my daughter search for her own missing Nancy Drews. I suddenly remembered that long ago day when I told my father that, yes, of course I could write a book. I decided to try. I haven’t stopped since.
I now live in Newton, Massachusetts with my husband Doug, my two daughters, Samantha and Alexandra, my enormous pumpkin-colored dog, Ozzie, and my lucky black cat, Cyrus. I live only a short drive from the gentle beach I loved when I was a girl. I still love walking on that deserted stretch of land and dreaming. Now I mostly dream about the books I plan to write.
from http://www.traceyfern.com/author.html
I now live in Newton, Massachusetts with my husband Doug, my two daughters, Samantha and Alexandra, my enormous pumpkin-colored dog, Ozzie, and my lucky black cat, Cyrus. I live only a short drive from the gentle beach I loved when I was a girl. I still love walking on that deserted stretch of land and dreaming. Now I mostly dream about the books I plan to write.
from http://www.traceyfern.com/author.html
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
October 7, 2022
Born in Kansas in 1873, and named for P.T. Barnum by his circus-loving parents, Barnum Brown grew up loving old bones and fossils. Studying paleontology at the University of Kansas as a young man, he became an experienced and skilled fossil hunter. Eventually, in the employ of the American Museum of Natural History, he became the most prolific dinosaur hunter on the planet, helping to build the AMNH's world-renowned collection. Chief among his finds was the first Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, discovered in Montana in 1902...
I initially sought out Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World because I had read and enjoyed other picture-book biographies by Tracey Fern, including her Pippo the Fool and Howard and the Mummy: Howard Carter and the Search for King Tut's Tomb . I am glad that I did, as I ended up finding it both entertaining and educational, learning about a figure who was previously unknown to me, despite his status as one of the most successful dinosaur hunters in history. I particularly liked how Fern highlighted some of Brown's idiosyncrasies and personality quirks, and I appreciated the accompanying illustrations from Boris Kulikov, who also worked with Fern on her biography of Howard Carter. Recommended to young dinosaur lovers, and to picture-book readers looking for stories about that late 19th/early 20th-century period of dinosaur mania, when fossil-hunters were considered celebrities.
I initially sought out Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World because I had read and enjoyed other picture-book biographies by Tracey Fern, including her Pippo the Fool and Howard and the Mummy: Howard Carter and the Search for King Tut's Tomb . I am glad that I did, as I ended up finding it both entertaining and educational, learning about a figure who was previously unknown to me, despite his status as one of the most successful dinosaur hunters in history. I particularly liked how Fern highlighted some of Brown's idiosyncrasies and personality quirks, and I appreciated the accompanying illustrations from Boris Kulikov, who also worked with Fern on her biography of Howard Carter. Recommended to young dinosaur lovers, and to picture-book readers looking for stories about that late 19th/early 20th-century period of dinosaur mania, when fossil-hunters were considered celebrities.
October 29, 2019
I loved this one, it’s a children’s book I picked up on a whim at the library about Barnum, a famous bone hunter...I was looking for more on him after reading the Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs last month, and stumbled upon this children’s book that has a great mix of facts and illustrations.
I think I will always be a bit amazed by this man who between 1897 and 1963 helped compile the largest collection of dinosaur bones, collecting bones on almost every continent.
I think I will always be a bit amazed by this man who between 1897 and 1963 helped compile the largest collection of dinosaur bones, collecting bones on almost every continent.
August 16, 2021
4.5 STARS Fascinating and fun biography of Barnum Brown and his remarkable discovery: the first T. Rex skeleton known to science! I wasn't always a fan of the illustrations, but they are quite evocative and creative. Good Author's Note and Selected Bibliography. My five-year-old and eight-year-old are going through a dino phase and both really enjoyed this, too. Recommend to dinosaur enthusiasts or anyone who enjoys a good picture book biography.
July 9, 2021
Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World is a children's picture book written by Tracey E. Fern and illustrated by Boris Kulikov. It centers on Barnum Brown, who, from the time he was named for circus impresario P.T. Barnum, was destined to do unusual, important things.
Barnum Brown, commonly referred to as Mr. Bones, was an American paleontologist. Named after the circus showman P.T. Barnum, he discovered the first documented remains of Tyrannosaurus during a career that made him one of the most famous fossil hunters working from the late Victorian era into the early 20th century.
Fern's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Fern fills her text with all the salient facts but uses a breezy, humorous, awestruck voice that strikes just the right tone in telling the story of this fascinating, quirky scientist. Backmatter includes an author's note and bibliography. Kulikov's wittily energetic, earth-toned watercolors enliven the text and add to the fun and interest.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Obsessed from childhood with fossils, Brown began hunting dinosaurs in the American West in the late 19th century. He was hired by New York's Museum of Natural History to find specimens, since that institution had no dinosaur collection at the time. Discover them Brown did, after several years of painstaking labor, he discovered the bones, including an intact skull, of the new creature he'd longed to find, later dubbed Tyrannosaurus Rex, which took the world by storm.
All in all, Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World is a terribly wonderful, albeit cursory biography to Barnum Brown, who was first to document in finding the remains of Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Barnum Brown, commonly referred to as Mr. Bones, was an American paleontologist. Named after the circus showman P.T. Barnum, he discovered the first documented remains of Tyrannosaurus during a career that made him one of the most famous fossil hunters working from the late Victorian era into the early 20th century.
Fern's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Fern fills her text with all the salient facts but uses a breezy, humorous, awestruck voice that strikes just the right tone in telling the story of this fascinating, quirky scientist. Backmatter includes an author's note and bibliography. Kulikov's wittily energetic, earth-toned watercolors enliven the text and add to the fun and interest.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Obsessed from childhood with fossils, Brown began hunting dinosaurs in the American West in the late 19th century. He was hired by New York's Museum of Natural History to find specimens, since that institution had no dinosaur collection at the time. Discover them Brown did, after several years of painstaking labor, he discovered the bones, including an intact skull, of the new creature he'd longed to find, later dubbed Tyrannosaurus Rex, which took the world by storm.
All in all, Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World is a terribly wonderful, albeit cursory biography to Barnum Brown, who was first to document in finding the remains of Tyrannosaurus Rex.
April 29, 2016
My 2nd grade daughter and I have read a ridiculous amount of illustrated biographies this year, and this is absolutely the best one we've found. I will confess, I'd never even heard of Barnum Brown before this read, and now I feel that I know him, and I wouldn't object to knowing him better through an adult version of his biography.
I'm not just recommending this for kids who are "dinosaur lovers." Not one member of my family is particularly interested in old bones, but the writing and the illustrations here created a win-win.
I'm not just recommending this for kids who are "dinosaur lovers." Not one member of my family is particularly interested in old bones, but the writing and the illustrations here created a win-win.
August 7, 2019
One of my sons has been fascinated with dinosaurs for years. We've read countless nonfiction books about dinosaurs and love to attend Rock Shows to see rocks and fossils. I've been wanting to read more nonfiction picture books to my children and decided to pick up Barnum's Bones. I'm so glad I did! It tells about the fascinating life of Barnum Brown in the late 1800s and early 1900s. From an early age, he loved collecting fossils and learning about the past. He found more dinosaur bones than anyone on earth and went on to discover the world's most famous dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus Rex. My boys and I love this book. It was interesting to learn about someone who played such an important part in the field of paleontology. The book is well written and filled with wonderful illustrations. I highly recommend this one.
February 13, 2017
Barnum Brown was named after the famous circus owner P.T. Barnum, and his favorite objects to collect were fossils. Apparently, he found more fossils and dinosaur bones than anyone else in the late 19th century, and he was hired by Henry Fairfield Osborn to find them for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Most of the book deals with the plentiful and unique finds he made throughout his life, some of which you can still see today if you go to the museum. A note at the end of the book discusses a second job he had--that of a spy during World Wars I and II! Barnum also believed that birds and dinosaurs were related, a theory which has only been accepted in the latter part of the 20th century. I would love to read a full biography of this man now, to find out more about his adventures. Recommended, especially in combination with books on Mary Anning, of which there are many, or Roy Chapman Andrews, or books by John R. Horner.
January 8, 2018
Barnum's Bones was a really neat story of a historical figure I'd never heard of before. Since my five-year-old is a dinosaur enthusiast, we both enjoyed this story about the man who discovered the first documented Tyrannosaurus skeleton.
Barnum Brown seems an almost larger-than-life figure as his obsession with fossils compels him to attend school, become a paleontologist, and spend his life searching all over the world for as many fossils as he can "sniff out." But what he really wants is to discover something new -- something that will make the American Museum of Natural History proud.
While it doesn't happen immediately (and the process is especially slow since it was limited to turn-of-the-twentieth-century technology -- horses, wagons, and trains), he does eventually discover the bottom half (ish) of a Tyrannosaurus, but it is several years later before he gets back to a nearby spot and finally finds the enormous head. What it must have been like to be an ordinary person in those days and be astounded at these new kinds of discoveries!
Barnum Brown seems an almost larger-than-life figure as his obsession with fossils compels him to attend school, become a paleontologist, and spend his life searching all over the world for as many fossils as he can "sniff out." But what he really wants is to discover something new -- something that will make the American Museum of Natural History proud.
While it doesn't happen immediately (and the process is especially slow since it was limited to turn-of-the-twentieth-century technology -- horses, wagons, and trains), he does eventually discover the bottom half (ish) of a Tyrannosaurus, but it is several years later before he gets back to a nearby spot and finally finds the enormous head. What it must have been like to be an ordinary person in those days and be astounded at these new kinds of discoveries!
April 11, 2018
This book is expertly written as well as informative and interesting. I like how it highlighted the work that finding bones involved and how that hard work payed off. This book is written with plenty of information, but not too much--which is my favorite kind of non-fiction children's book. My dinosaur-loving 4 year old enjoyed it, and also my book-loving 6, and 8 year old. Highly recommended!
May 14, 2020
Note: two mentions of millions of years.
January 28, 2025
This was a fun book because I especially know basically nothing about the early days of finding fossils in America 😂
February 9, 2015
Barnum's Bones is a Realistic Fiction book about a man named Barnum who became infatuated with fossils at a young age. We follow Barnum through his life where he travels the world searching for bones of dinosaurs. He becomes really close with a professor and works to put the bone fragments together for museum displays. Barnum shows drive and perseverance by continuing to push forward and work day in and day out to put together the pieces of many dinosaurs. At one point, he is in competition with another man who discovers a brand new dinosaur. After this, Barnum sets out on another new adventure to find more fossils and hopefully discover something new. He finds a variety of fossils that the hasn't ever found before and after months of off and on again digging, he finds a brand new dinosaur known as the T-Rex!
This book does an excellent job of promoting work-ethic and perseverance in students by allowing them to see that you can do anything you set your heart to. Barnum's Bones also creates admirable qualities in students such as development of goal-oriented character traits. He started young by collecting fossils and continued to further his passion as he grew older, which is great to show students that they can follow their dreams as well. He put himself out there and did something that meant a lot to him. I love this book so much and will definitely use it in my classroom with 3-4 grade students. I will use it when discussing science and history of earth as a Read Aloud. It is a short children's literature piece that can be read out loud to my students and then followed up by a writing piece or a greek roots lesson. There are so many greek roots throughout the story so it would be awesome to introduce them and have them learn what each part meant and how to relate it back to animals today. Such an awesome book! I recommend to any 3-5 teacher as well as anyone who wants to read for fun!
This book does an excellent job of promoting work-ethic and perseverance in students by allowing them to see that you can do anything you set your heart to. Barnum's Bones also creates admirable qualities in students such as development of goal-oriented character traits. He started young by collecting fossils and continued to further his passion as he grew older, which is great to show students that they can follow their dreams as well. He put himself out there and did something that meant a lot to him. I love this book so much and will definitely use it in my classroom with 3-4 grade students. I will use it when discussing science and history of earth as a Read Aloud. It is a short children's literature piece that can be read out loud to my students and then followed up by a writing piece or a greek roots lesson. There are so many greek roots throughout the story so it would be awesome to introduce them and have them learn what each part meant and how to relate it back to animals today. Such an awesome book! I recommend to any 3-5 teacher as well as anyone who wants to read for fun!
July 20, 2012
When I first picked this book up I thought it was going to be about P.T. Barnum (I didn't read the subtitle) but it turns out it’s about Barnum Brown who discovered T. Rex and many more dinosaur bones. I had never heard of him before and found this fascinating. The story is brought to life by the illustrations of Boris Kulikov, who is one of my favorite children's book illustrators. Well done!
October 31, 2012
4.1 stars
Kids will probably really like reading this short, easy book about dinosaur bones. I got the title from a list of best nonfiction for kids. Born in 1873, Barnum Brown was named after the famous circus person. As a boy in Kansas, he loved to search through plowed fields looking for small fossils. He grew up to be the most prolific fossil hunter in history. He discovered, dug up, and re-assembled the first Tyrannosaurus rex.
Kids will probably really like reading this short, easy book about dinosaur bones. I got the title from a list of best nonfiction for kids. Born in 1873, Barnum Brown was named after the famous circus person. As a boy in Kansas, he loved to search through plowed fields looking for small fossils. He grew up to be the most prolific fossil hunter in history. He discovered, dug up, and re-assembled the first Tyrannosaurus rex.
May 14, 2012
A lively, spirited introduction to the intrepid fossil hunter.
March 4, 2020
Summary: When Barnum Brown was a young boy, he greatly enjoyed collecting fossils. He studied paleontology at the University of Kansas and went on fossil hunts with his professor. When Professor Osborn from Columbia University heard of Barnum’s success, he hired him to find fossils for the American Museum of Natural History. Barnum traveled the world looking for and excavating dinosaur bones. On one of his expeditions, he discovered the bones of an unknown dinosaur, which Professor Osborn named the Tyrannosaurus rex. In a later excavation, he found many of the T. Rex bones his first find had been missing.
Theme: This book addresses themes of hard work, curiosity, and scientific inquiry.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Personal response: I really enjoyed reading this book and learning about the man who excavated the first T. Rex. The illustrations in the book are incredibly detailed, especially the facial expressions of the characters. My only critique of the book would be that it was sometimes hard to follow where Barnum was when major events happened.
Why I recommend it: Students who enjoy learning about dinosaurs will likely enjoy this book. The drawings make it especially engaging. Although the book centers on the subject of science, it could be used in a language arts unit about biographies.
Theme: This book addresses themes of hard work, curiosity, and scientific inquiry.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Personal response: I really enjoyed reading this book and learning about the man who excavated the first T. Rex. The illustrations in the book are incredibly detailed, especially the facial expressions of the characters. My only critique of the book would be that it was sometimes hard to follow where Barnum was when major events happened.
Why I recommend it: Students who enjoy learning about dinosaurs will likely enjoy this book. The drawings make it especially engaging. Although the book centers on the subject of science, it could be used in a language arts unit about biographies.
December 10, 2019
Lots of great illustrations for the kids to look at as you read the story of how Barnum Brown's knack for locating dinosaur fossils gave him the impressive record of finding the most dinosaur fossils.
I really liked the mention that Brown started his fossil collection as a child from the fields where his father unearthed them as he plowed. He so impressed his paleontology professor at university that he was invited to spend 2 summers on fossil hunts in South Dakota and Wyoming.
He was flamboyant but people swore that he could "smell fossils". And, of course, one of his most famous finds was a nearly complete skeleton of a T. Rex.
My only problem with the book was some of the illustrations. I am sure that Brown never stood atop the triceratops skull or on the top of his desk waving a pieces of dinosaur horn while standing on maps. Maybe I am wrong, but it doesn't ring true.
I really liked the mention that Brown started his fossil collection as a child from the fields where his father unearthed them as he plowed. He so impressed his paleontology professor at university that he was invited to spend 2 summers on fossil hunts in South Dakota and Wyoming.
He was flamboyant but people swore that he could "smell fossils". And, of course, one of his most famous finds was a nearly complete skeleton of a T. Rex.
My only problem with the book was some of the illustrations. I am sure that Brown never stood atop the triceratops skull or on the top of his desk waving a pieces of dinosaur horn while standing on maps. Maybe I am wrong, but it doesn't ring true.
July 3, 2023
This awesome book is about a man named Barnum Brown and his journey to discovering the T-Rex. He travels all over the world, hunting and collecting different dinosaur fossils for museums. Without him, the T-Rex as we know it today would be practically non-existent. This book is very educational, but still fun and enjoyable to read. The illustrations are beautiful! I picked this book up at a book sale because it looked interesting, and I wasn't wrong! I love it! This is a great book if you are interested in paleontology or for just a fun read! Follow @bronteandwilder on Instagram for more fun book recommendations!
October 9, 2019
If you have a dinosaur enthusiast or not, this book is for you! This book is about a man named Barnum Brown who loved fossils as a child. Born in 1873, he was named after a circus icon P.T. Barnum. He had a talent for finding fossils who grew up to be the most prolific fossil hunters in history. He wanted to find something special for the American Museum of Natural history, and while it took time, he finally discovered, dug-up and re-assembled the first Tyrannosaurus Rex.
February 4, 2020
A very interesting trip into the discovery of the T. rex by Barnum Brown. Parts of it are comical, parts amazing and parts just interesting reporting. The illustrations are very interesting and accompany the story well. I found it interesting the type of personality that Barnum Brown possessed that kept him collecting and hunting for bigger and better fossils, no matter where it took him. I suppose that was part of the excitement. A great book for the budding paleontologist.
October 12, 2017
I loved learning about the discovery of dinosaur bones. I learned something new. However the ready was difficult and would have to be a read aloud for elementary. Also there were parts that were hard to follow at times. I do love the true factor about this story. very inspiring.
Grade level: 3-5
Genre: Biography
Grade level: 3-5
Genre: Biography
July 5, 2018
One of my favorite illustrations was actually the inside of the front cover -- letters between Brown and Professor Osborn at the museum.
Really emphasized the time that excavations can take and some of the luck involved in finding fossils. But it also talked about how good Brown was at noticing bone among rock and the importance of talking to locals and studying geology.
Really emphasized the time that excavations can take and some of the luck involved in finding fossils. But it also talked about how good Brown was at noticing bone among rock and the importance of talking to locals and studying geology.
September 5, 2019
This was a book about dinosaur fossils that are famous throughout the world. Very informational about dinosaurs and educational. Dinosaurs are a big part of our history and is great to teach students about. This book did a great job giving out information about dinosaurs.
November 26, 2023
It was confusing that the beginning of the story talked about the circus, because I thought Barnum would be part of the Barnum & Bailey circus. I didn't really like the pictures, and I found the story uninteresting.
June 14, 2017
Biography about the man who discovered the T-Rex
January 21, 2018
Barnum's Bones has the potential to impact a students choice in their career path as it shows how an interest can turn into a lifelong career. The graphics in the story were very life like and very detailed. I think it is a good non fiction book about a part of the past that many people like to argue did not happen. It has a good message behind it stating that as long as you have an idea and a good mind set anything is possible. The text in the book is long which could be hard for younger students to read on their own but I think for older students in the science classes could read it and learn a lot about it.
May 12, 2019
A well told tale of Barnum Brown love of fossils from childhood and finding the T. Rex as an adult.
April 21, 2020
Key words: Dinosaurs, discovery, fossils.
November 4, 2021
I liked it because because he found the most popular dinosaur in the world.
Read
September 2, 2023Fun book with brilliant art about Barnum Brown and his discovery of many dinosaurs including T-Rex. The illustrations are clever and really add to the story. Great book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews