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The First Dinosaur: How Science Solved the Greatest Mystery on Earth
A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019
An Orbis Picture Recommended Title
“An outstanding case study in how science is actually done: funny, nuanced, and perceptive.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Join early scientists as they piece together one of humanity’s greatest puzzles—the fossilized bones of the first dinosaur!
Dinosaurs existed. That’s a fact we accept today. But not so long ago, the concept that these giant creatures could have roamed Earth millions of years before humans was unfathomable. People thought what we know as dinosaur bones were the bones of giant humans. Of large elephants. Of angels, even.
So, how did we get from angel wings to the T-Rex? The First Dinosaur tells the story of the idea of dinosaurs, and the chain of fossil discoveries and advances in science that led to that idea. Be prepared to meet eccentric men and overlooked women who uncovered the pieces to a puzzle so much bigger than themselves, a puzzle far stranger and more spectacular than they could have ever imagined.
An Orbis Picture Recommended Title
“An outstanding case study in how science is actually done: funny, nuanced, and perceptive.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Join early scientists as they piece together one of humanity’s greatest puzzles—the fossilized bones of the first dinosaur!
Dinosaurs existed. That’s a fact we accept today. But not so long ago, the concept that these giant creatures could have roamed Earth millions of years before humans was unfathomable. People thought what we know as dinosaur bones were the bones of giant humans. Of large elephants. Of angels, even.
So, how did we get from angel wings to the T-Rex? The First Dinosaur tells the story of the idea of dinosaurs, and the chain of fossil discoveries and advances in science that led to that idea. Be prepared to meet eccentric men and overlooked women who uncovered the pieces to a puzzle so much bigger than themselves, a puzzle far stranger and more spectacular than they could have ever imagined.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published October 8, 2019
8 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Ian Lendler
20 books39 followersIan Lendler is, first and foremost, a person. After that, the details get a bit sketchy. We’re pretty sure he has two arms and two legs. There are rumors of a third thumb, which you may laugh about now but let’s see what you think 1,000 years from now when evolution decides that three thumbs is way better because you can use can-openers more efficiently and hitchhike with aplomb and everyone will laugh about the old days when everyone was a “two-thumber.”
But I digress.
I am a writer. I grew up in Connecticut and NYC, but now I live near San Francisco, CA. My books are below. I sincerely hope you enjoy them. Thank you for visiting.
But I digress.
I am a writer. I grew up in Connecticut and NYC, but now I live near San Francisco, CA. My books are below. I sincerely hope you enjoy them. Thank you for visiting.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 5, 2020
The First Dinosaur is not only a fascinating look at the history of paleontology but a beautifully designed book that is a pleasure to look at. I first started reading the book on my phone and I was enjoying it, but I could tell that I was missing out by not being able to see the physical book. So I ordered a physical copy. And I'm glad I did. The physical book is beautifully designed. It's organized in such a way that it seems to have less text than it does. And the text is nicely broken up with illustrations, photographs, quotes, side notes, and other bits of information. The pages themselves are nicely decorated with background images and colors.
I learned a lot reading this book. In fact, I would undoubtedly learn more reading it again. It's one of those books that just has so many details that it can't all be absorbed in one reading. The information about specific discoveries, the scientists who participated in making those discoveries, and the theories that developed based on those discoveries gives the reader a glimpse into the development of what was then a new science. I found it absolutely fascinating to read about the developments. I also appreciated the fact that the faults and mistakes made by the scientists were not glossed over or ignored. The personalities of those involved certainly had an impact on their ideas and people's willingness to accept those ideas.
Overall, this is a fabulous nonfiction title that any young science lover would enjoy, especially those interested in dinosaurs.
I learned a lot reading this book. In fact, I would undoubtedly learn more reading it again. It's one of those books that just has so many details that it can't all be absorbed in one reading. The information about specific discoveries, the scientists who participated in making those discoveries, and the theories that developed based on those discoveries gives the reader a glimpse into the development of what was then a new science. I found it absolutely fascinating to read about the developments. I also appreciated the fact that the faults and mistakes made by the scientists were not glossed over or ignored. The personalities of those involved certainly had an impact on their ideas and people's willingness to accept those ideas.
Overall, this is a fabulous nonfiction title that any young science lover would enjoy, especially those interested in dinosaurs.
December 31, 2020
I usually like to consume my nonfiction in audiobook format, but as soon as I saw the cover of this book I knew I had to read it. I enjoyed it so much in its print format. The illustrations, pictures, charts, and diagrams bring it to life.
This book isn’t just about the first dinosaur discovered, the Megalosaurus, it goes into depth and describes what other discoveries, advancements in knowledge, and the people who made the discovery possible. It is easy to read and understand. It is definitely a must read for those young and adult readers interested in dinosaurs. You also get to learn about some of the important women who made the discovery possible and who usually get left out from history.
#YesiReads #Nonfiction
This book isn’t just about the first dinosaur discovered, the Megalosaurus, it goes into depth and describes what other discoveries, advancements in knowledge, and the people who made the discovery possible. It is easy to read and understand. It is definitely a must read for those young and adult readers interested in dinosaurs. You also get to learn about some of the important women who made the discovery possible and who usually get left out from history.
#YesiReads #Nonfiction
December 30, 2019
There is a certain wow factor when you open up this book and flip through the pages. Older students who love dinosaurs will find this book fascinating.
March 26, 2020
This book is the bee's knees.
March 2, 2020
With 10 years as a science communications & outreach expert for a major international science society (not paleo/geo/arch) and a multi-decade career in education, this book is exciting! It unfurls the process of the unknown becoming known. It's not just celebrating the discovery of dinosaurs, but the discovery of a whole new way to think about and intertwine history and science. This r/evolution in thinking is presented without imposing too-strong (author) biases about or ignoring the major issues of religion/faith and social status of key parties. As an avid reader of PB, MG, YA, and (some) adult-facing novels & NF, this is engaging! The story-like narrative never skips a beat as Lendler rolls out some complicated, overlapping, 3 steps forward/2 steps back chronology of discovery. Not to mention the steady, adept bringing to life of unique personalities - even (perhaps especially) those who were either ignored, misrepresented, or sugarcoated in the original telling/reporting of this age. Layout, photos, sidebars, heading, fonts all add depth, humor, detail, & clarification without undue distraction or repetition. The voice & tone remain friendly and energizing without sacrificing accuracy or 'talking down' to younger or less-dino-savvy readers. My only complaint? It's shape is kind of textbook-y, and while it'd make a great option for state adoption, I don't like the heft/balance of it as I read it just for pleasure.
March 10, 2024
What did it take for mankind to figure out something that had stopped existing 65 million years ago? This is the staggering quest this book attempts to explain, chronicling the journey from ignorance to knowledge, in a fun and easy to understand language.
Mr Lendler has clearly done his homework, and lays out the story, layer by layer, over decades and centuries, across countries and continents, starting with when the very essence of science had to be invented, to the Age of Enlightenment, through the invention of other specialized fields of science - geology, anatomy, biology, and many others. All through, in the best traditions of the eponymous Magical School Bus, the book spins a real-life yarn that takes the by-now-assuredly wild-eyed reader tumbling through millennia of discoveries.
Sample: “In the early 1800s, geology was the equivalent of quantum physics or artificial intelligence today. It was the cutting edge of science, with new discoveries being made all the time.” It is writing like this that, while providing a view backward in time to the excitement and uncertainty of historical discoveries in those bygone centuries, at the same time manages to anchor the understanding in terms of what today’s young scientists probably know better.
At the same time, there’s no dearth of scientific terminology and actual theorems and laws formulated over centuries, be it Steno’s first law of superposition, or the Seashell Problem, or James Hutton’s findings that attempted to superimpose anatomy and geology (!). This is extremely fertile territory for the curious, and will go a long way towards inculcating a scientific bend in all future discoverers.
To top it all off, the fact that the book is full color, with vibrant and colorful pictures, and many full-page illustrations from before pictures existed (!). This is enough to hook any reader.
The only way the book could have been any more spectacular is if it told a grand story for the ages - and it somehow manages to do that too! The various characters - admittedly all from Europe, and mainly England and France, given the timeframe of the story being told - come together as parallel strands of a tale told in vignettes but who eventually come together and the propel the narrative, when their scientific discoveries add up to more than the sum of the parts!
An absolutely incredible and unforgettable journey into the minds of some of the most brilliant dinosaur hunters, who never gave up trying to find a history that we now know existed at least 65 million years ago. Pop culture has made knowing a lot of and about dinosaurs possible, but it is the years of back-breaking and excruciating hard work of pioneers like Nicolaus Steno, William “Strata” Smith, Georges Cuvier, Mary Anning, Gideon Mantell, Richard Owen and William Buckland - among many others who will probably remain nameless and uncredited - that the idea of dinosaurs first came to be.
A must read, age no bar, interest a must (but will create if not already found) in spades!
Mr Lendler has clearly done his homework, and lays out the story, layer by layer, over decades and centuries, across countries and continents, starting with when the very essence of science had to be invented, to the Age of Enlightenment, through the invention of other specialized fields of science - geology, anatomy, biology, and many others. All through, in the best traditions of the eponymous Magical School Bus, the book spins a real-life yarn that takes the by-now-assuredly wild-eyed reader tumbling through millennia of discoveries.
Sample: “In the early 1800s, geology was the equivalent of quantum physics or artificial intelligence today. It was the cutting edge of science, with new discoveries being made all the time.” It is writing like this that, while providing a view backward in time to the excitement and uncertainty of historical discoveries in those bygone centuries, at the same time manages to anchor the understanding in terms of what today’s young scientists probably know better.
At the same time, there’s no dearth of scientific terminology and actual theorems and laws formulated over centuries, be it Steno’s first law of superposition, or the Seashell Problem, or James Hutton’s findings that attempted to superimpose anatomy and geology (!). This is extremely fertile territory for the curious, and will go a long way towards inculcating a scientific bend in all future discoverers.
To top it all off, the fact that the book is full color, with vibrant and colorful pictures, and many full-page illustrations from before pictures existed (!). This is enough to hook any reader.
The only way the book could have been any more spectacular is if it told a grand story for the ages - and it somehow manages to do that too! The various characters - admittedly all from Europe, and mainly England and France, given the timeframe of the story being told - come together as parallel strands of a tale told in vignettes but who eventually come together and the propel the narrative, when their scientific discoveries add up to more than the sum of the parts!
An absolutely incredible and unforgettable journey into the minds of some of the most brilliant dinosaur hunters, who never gave up trying to find a history that we now know existed at least 65 million years ago. Pop culture has made knowing a lot of and about dinosaurs possible, but it is the years of back-breaking and excruciating hard work of pioneers like Nicolaus Steno, William “Strata” Smith, Georges Cuvier, Mary Anning, Gideon Mantell, Richard Owen and William Buckland - among many others who will probably remain nameless and uncredited - that the idea of dinosaurs first came to be.
A must read, age no bar, interest a must (but will create if not already found) in spades!
January 17, 2020
The First Dinosaur is a surprisingly excellent book. I say surprisingly because I had no idea what I didn't know about the discovery of dinosaurs. It brought to mind the old saying, "the student doesn't know enough to ask a question." As I read The First Dinosaur I realized that people had been seeing bone fragments and other fossils for thousands of years and had no idea what they were looking at and had no way to check further. Until the 1600s through the Scientific Age when men, usually gentlemen who had money and time to dabble and investigate, started to question the shape of some of the fragments, deciding that they looked like bones. One man's enthusiasm to know more led to another man's enthusiasm and so forth.
Back in the 1770s a remarkable bunch of men came together to dream up a new nation founded on democratic principles: Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Franklin, Adams, Jay, and Washington. The same thing happened in geology. When the student was ready the teacher appeared. This book highlights the lives of the remarkable men who uncovered the truth of age of the earth and found evidence in bone and fossils to identify the first dinosuars: Steno (1680s) who made pioneering advances in geology and paleontology; Robert Hooke (1700s); William "Strata" Smith (1800s) who identified fossils in particular levels of stratas; Georges Cuvier (France, 1800s) could read the strata and fossils records; Mary Anning (1800s) discovered and dug two of the first three dinosaur skeletons, as woman she did not get credit for her discoveries; Gideon Mantell (1850s) was a fossil collector who became known as one of the two most renown dinosaur experts of his day; Richard Owen (1850s) became the British Cuvier and one of the most renown dinosaur experts of his day; William Buckland (1850s) an Oxford professor who did much to advance Scientific advances in geology and paleonthology.
Many men came together in the Royal Society to advance their thoughts and to finally identify and name the first dinosaur: Megalosaurus from bone fragments near Oxford in rock quarry.
I found this book not only fascinating but fun to read. There was enough about the personalities involved in all the discoveries to keep me interested. I hope that young teen researchers find their way to this book and that they find it as compelling as I did.
Back in the 1770s a remarkable bunch of men came together to dream up a new nation founded on democratic principles: Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Franklin, Adams, Jay, and Washington. The same thing happened in geology. When the student was ready the teacher appeared. This book highlights the lives of the remarkable men who uncovered the truth of age of the earth and found evidence in bone and fossils to identify the first dinosuars: Steno (1680s) who made pioneering advances in geology and paleontology; Robert Hooke (1700s); William "Strata" Smith (1800s) who identified fossils in particular levels of stratas; Georges Cuvier (France, 1800s) could read the strata and fossils records; Mary Anning (1800s) discovered and dug two of the first three dinosaur skeletons, as woman she did not get credit for her discoveries; Gideon Mantell (1850s) was a fossil collector who became known as one of the two most renown dinosaur experts of his day; Richard Owen (1850s) became the British Cuvier and one of the most renown dinosaur experts of his day; William Buckland (1850s) an Oxford professor who did much to advance Scientific advances in geology and paleonthology.
Many men came together in the Royal Society to advance their thoughts and to finally identify and name the first dinosaur: Megalosaurus from bone fragments near Oxford in rock quarry.
I found this book not only fascinating but fun to read. There was enough about the personalities involved in all the discoveries to keep me interested. I hope that young teen researchers find their way to this book and that they find it as compelling as I did.
February 1, 2020
Somehow I thought this was a picture book, and it is, but it's also a chapter book, so full of wonderful information about the men and one woman who dedicated their lives to figuring out the earth's genesis. It took a while, but Ian Lendler's style is pure storytelling. When I read, I felt he was sitting right beside me, explaining, telling about the places and people who kept exploring, ignored their discomfort in learning what those "creatures" found in rocks were. How did they get there?
The early conflict with those who believed the Bible to be the definitive answer was explained, but it took a century and more! Much focused on the British Isles, often the area of Lyme Regis, England, though other countries contributed to the knowledge like France. I imagine there could be a history of paleontology efforts from all over the world, but Lendler focused on the very beginnings. These years were when the term "geology" was first used. These are the years when megalosaurus received a name, became "The First Dinosaur". Finally, these end with the years that Darwin put forth his theory of evolution. Aside from Darwin, the only scientist whose story I knew was Mary Anning, a young woman who was entranced by her discoveries, found the only "whole" fossil. In fact, she found three! She excavated, cleaned, and illustrated her plesiosaur, but was never recognized by any group. She was a woman. Some of the men also with great knowledge were her friends and helped her as she struggled with poverty, but the relatively new Geologic Society did not admit its first woman until 1904.
You will want to read Mary's story as well as the fascinating other scientists who strove to find answers to earth's history. Some were poor, some aristocrats, all passionate.
Lendler fills his book fascinating stories of those scientists who, good people or bad, persisted to find answers. Within this story, C.M. Butzer adds many kinds of illustrations, some brought from that time long ago, some created, some comical. Added is an Epilogue, a bibliography, Acknowledgments, Credits, and an index at the back. I enjoyed the book thoroughly.
The early conflict with those who believed the Bible to be the definitive answer was explained, but it took a century and more! Much focused on the British Isles, often the area of Lyme Regis, England, though other countries contributed to the knowledge like France. I imagine there could be a history of paleontology efforts from all over the world, but Lendler focused on the very beginnings. These years were when the term "geology" was first used. These are the years when megalosaurus received a name, became "The First Dinosaur". Finally, these end with the years that Darwin put forth his theory of evolution. Aside from Darwin, the only scientist whose story I knew was Mary Anning, a young woman who was entranced by her discoveries, found the only "whole" fossil. In fact, she found three! She excavated, cleaned, and illustrated her plesiosaur, but was never recognized by any group. She was a woman. Some of the men also with great knowledge were her friends and helped her as she struggled with poverty, but the relatively new Geologic Society did not admit its first woman until 1904.
You will want to read Mary's story as well as the fascinating other scientists who strove to find answers to earth's history. Some were poor, some aristocrats, all passionate.
Lendler fills his book fascinating stories of those scientists who, good people or bad, persisted to find answers. Within this story, C.M. Butzer adds many kinds of illustrations, some brought from that time long ago, some created, some comical. Added is an Epilogue, a bibliography, Acknowledgments, Credits, and an index at the back. I enjoyed the book thoroughly.
February 1, 2021
Filled with incredible facts and tidbits about the evolution (of you’ll pardon the pun) of the classification of dinosaurs and their fossils. I would say the title is a little misleading, though, because the dinosaur discussed in the book wasn’t the actual first dinosaur ever discovered because people had been finding dinosaur bones throughout the years and misidentifying them as fantastic, mythical creatures or simply just misidentifying them as other animals. What really made the difference was this dinosaur’s bone was discovered, written down and recorded, and shared. The author really hit that point home. You could be the greatest genius out there but if you don’t write down your ideas and share them, it’s not really furthering the idea of science. And there’s the whole definition of dinosaur (hollow hip bone sockets) so while it was the first dinosaur to be classified as a “dinosaur” there are many other animals that were discovered and led to the definition of “dinosaur.” Overall, I think kids really interested in dinosaurs will probably love this book, though I’d recommend tackling this a few chapters at a time since it’s probably a lot of new information being thrown at them on every single page but that’s also what’s so cool about the book!
September 8, 2020
I am fascinated by the history of what we knew when in science, how scientific thought developed and how recently important ideas were developed. I also love detective stories. So this wonderful combination of science and mystery was right up my alley.
Ian Lendler does an excellent job of providing historical context while carefully revealing the "Who, What, When, Where and Why" of the important questions involved with understanding of geologic time, the fossil record and prehistoric life forms. Conversational in tone and with plenty of humor, the explanations and science is nonetheless solid, clear and logically explained. The text is peppered with important quotations, fascinating related information and intriguing connections. Heavily illustrated with photographs, drawings, portraits and ephemera, the book is extremely appealing visually and a delight to read.
Back matter includes a bibliography, credits and an index.
Give this to young scientists ready to think about how science is done and how ideas have developed that have changed the way we see the world. And - of course dinosaurs!
Ian Lendler does an excellent job of providing historical context while carefully revealing the "Who, What, When, Where and Why" of the important questions involved with understanding of geologic time, the fossil record and prehistoric life forms. Conversational in tone and with plenty of humor, the explanations and science is nonetheless solid, clear and logically explained. The text is peppered with important quotations, fascinating related information and intriguing connections. Heavily illustrated with photographs, drawings, portraits and ephemera, the book is extremely appealing visually and a delight to read.
Back matter includes a bibliography, credits and an index.
Give this to young scientists ready to think about how science is done and how ideas have developed that have changed the way we see the world. And - of course dinosaurs!
May 11, 2020
How did the idea of dinosaurs come into existence? What was believed about the origins of life on earth prior to Darwin? This book explores the rise of geology and paleontology in England in the 18th and 18th centuries. Beautifully illustrated and well written, it details the lives of fossil hunters and thinkers from all walks of British life, including Mary Anning, who discovered many creatures including the ichthysaur. From coal mining to chanel building, from elephants to mythical beasts, we learn about the evolution of ideas about prehistoric life. This book sets religion up in a dichotomy with science, and at every turn, emphasizes that this is a choice of one or the other, even going so far as to say that one of the scientists became a priest and died early because he was deprived of warm clothes and only ate beer and bread. A little much. Hence 4 instead of 5 stars for this false dichotomy.
January 15, 2023
I requested this book from the library for my 5yo not realizing it’s 220-pages-long and meant for middle and high schoolers. Ultimately, I got hooked myself and devoured it cover-to-cover. The title is misleading — it’s not about a particular dinosaur — it’s a history of how scientists (and regular people) collected evidence, shared knowledge, and figured out that a class of gigantic reptiles (as well as an entire ancient ecosystem) existed then went extinct. It really well illustrates how scientific revolutions come about — not only from scientific standpoint, but also from a social and political (even a religious) standpoint. These revolutions must overcome the human tendency to hotly reject any evidence that the current worldview may be incorrect. It’s rare to find a human quick to dismiss their own beliefs (whether religious, scientific, or political) when presented with contrary evidence. I’d recommend this book for anyone ages 12 to 112.
December 6, 2019
A history of fossils and the discovery, identification and naming of megalosaurus, with an emphasis on how the science worked, including the invention of science. I really like the description of the growth of the scientific method, and the emphasis on the challenge of knowing what questions to ask, especially when an entire topic is unknown. The text is engaging with great illustrations, taking time to show each historical figure as an individual.
October 20, 2019
An inspiring STEM-based book rich with fascinating details, fun anecdotes, and surprising facts—with gorgeous illustrations and cool archival photos to match. (Bonus: Decapitated shark!) I loved this book and the often humorous tone made it easy to read with my son. I’d recommend it for any kind of reader.
October 21, 2019
Not only did my kids adore this book, but I loved it just as much! It never even occurred to me that the very notion of "dinosaurs" had to be pieced together from countless tiny clues. Seriously, this is one of the coolest historical mysteries I've ever encountered, and one that I've never seen anywhere else. An incredible must-read for any curious human!
November 10, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyable read! Although this book is aimed at older kids I would recommend this for any parents with inquisitive younger kids (or if you fancy a good time rollicking through the story of the discovery of the first dinosaur). Great illustrations and a knack of keeping the story ticking along with amusing / interesting / plain weird titbits make this a very entertaining read.
December 29, 2021
This was a fun and fascinating introduction to the early history of paleontology. It starts with some of the first stages of the scientific revolution and follows the developing scientific studies up until the point when dinosaurs were first identified as dinosaurs. The book has a ton of illustrations as well and is really well laid out and overall very engaging.
June 13, 2020
An attractively designed and illustrated, informative, and most enjoyable mix of history and science, offering an insightful look at how science is "done" and how fossil hunting evolved into the field of paleontology.
March 12, 2020
at first it was interesting and then it just got really slow.
June 4, 2021
This book showed that only 2(!) dinosaurs were in England!!!( Megalasaurus, Igaunadon) in the 1800's
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews