Fossils

Owen provides young, dinosaur-crazy children with a basic introduction to fossils and the work of paleontologists in this Dino-Sphere series (10 titles) entry. Incorporating a large font, short sentences, plentiful color photographs, and text boxes into two-page topical spreads makes the book approachable for beginning readers. Beginning with scientists finding fossilized T. rex bones, the text describes how and when the dinosaur might have died, how its flesh was eaten by other animals, and how its bones turned to rock, ultimately settling the dino beneath a mountain—only to be discovered several million years later. The wonderfully gross topic of coprolite—always a kid-pleaser—also gets a mention. The back matter includes an illustrated glossary, other books, and a link to websites. This will satisfy teachers and beginning researchers alike.