Titanosaur: Discovering the World’s Largest Dinosaur

Title:  Titanosaur: Discovering the World’s Largest Dinosaur

Authors: Dr. Jose Luis Carballido & Dr. Diego Pol

Illustrator:  Florence Gigena

Target Ages:  5 and up

Genre:  Non-Fiction Picture Book (Science)

Publisher Summary: 

Join paleontologists Jose Luis Carballido and Diego Pol on the adventure of a lifetime, and learn all about how they uncovered more than 180 titanosaur bones in the deserts of Argentina, forever changing our understanding of these 100-million-year-old creatures.  After excavating the skeletons of seven of these giant sauropods, Dr. Carballido and Dr. Pol and their team transport them to a museum in Argentina, studied them, replicated them, and built the biggest dinosaur skeleton the world has ever seen!  With information on how to keep fossils from breaking, the secrets to a successful dinosaur dig, and just how much we can really learn from a tooth, this book with not only delight dinosaur lovers—it will inspire young scientists.

First Lines:

Early one summer morning in a place called Patagonia, Argentina, a gaucho and his sheepdog left their ranch to search for a lost sheep. After hours of searching, the gaucho spotted something poking out of the dirt.

Evaluation:

From the mystery of the unknown object sticking out and the unearthing of the bones to the preparation for study and the finalize reconstruction, every event is a critical puzzle piece in this compelling story.

Words and concepts are defined outside of the storytelling to help educators and parents explain text references.  Budding paleontologists and future scientists will be drawn to the fascinating facts about dinosaurs, archeology, teamwork, and research.

Florence Gigena’s artwork perfectly adds to the storytelling and concept building.  Photographs from the dig and study are interspersed with Gigena’s stunning replication of the events.  When a bone is discovered, it is highlighted in a drawing of the dinosaur to give context. Other times she adds pictures to help visualization, such as comparing the dinosaur’s neck to a school bus or the length of the femur bone to the size of a person. 

Young readers (and older ones too) will immediately be swept in as this real dinosaur discovery unfolds!  Titanosaur: Discovering the World’s Largest Dinosaur is a must-read for ages 5 and up.

Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:

Footprint Cookies

Dinosaur Snack Mix

Dinosaur Dig

Dinosaur Pinterest Board

Picture Book Connections:

Fossil by Fossil:  Comparing Dinosaur Bones

This delightful book highlights the unique bones of different species. Young readers are encouraged to guess which dinosaur they belong to. The answer, and some fast facts about it, are revealed on the next page. 

Barnum Brown: Dinosaur Hunter

Brown was an early paleontologist whose many discoveries led scientists to a greater understanding of dinosaurs and people to a greater fascination of these prehistoric creatures.

Dinothesaurus

This children’s poetry collection celebrates dinosaurs. 

For fiction for the dinosaur-lover in your life, click HERE.

Thunder Underground (Jane Yolen)

Title:  Thunder Underground

Author:  Jane Yolen

Illustrator:   Josee Masse

Target Ages:  5-10

Genre:  Poetry

Publisher Summary: 

What is under your feet?

Ant cities

Fox dens

Rabbit warrens

Now dig deeper.

Subways

Forgotten towns

Fossilized bones

What other secrets hide deeper still beneath your shoes?

Favorite Poem:

“Corny Conversations”

It sounds too odd

for us to hear,

corn plants can talk,

not mouth to ear.

But with a strange

and clicking sound,

their taproots speak

beneath the ground.

We don’t know what

corn rootlings say

when they communicate

this way.

But scientific studies

show

they do this as they

grow and grow

and grow.

Evaluation:

I am drawn to poetry that brings out the wonder of the world, utilizes imaginative language, and teaches a little science at the same time.  It makes me wish I was still an elementary teacher.  Poetry brings out the spectacle and awe of the world that science textbooks sorely lack.

Thunder Underground can be used along with several science units to start a lesson or to prompt writing across the curriculum:

• Insects
• Plants
• Paleontology/Dinosaurs
• Volcanoes
• Earthquakes
• Archeology
• Geology

Yolen uses a variety of poetry styles from haiku to free verse.  Each one brings out a new angle about the hidden world below from the natural to the man-made (subway, basement).  Some of the information is common knowledge for adults, but not necessarily so for children.  Other fascinating facts will surprise many like plants communicating with each other and the sound of beetles walking underground. 

I love Josee Masse’s illustrations.  Each page turn offers a sweeping look at the world—both above and below the surface—with deep colors and stunning depictions. Two inquisitive children (a boy and a girl) are often pictured observing and inquiring. 

Poetry and science collide to make a wondrous experience in Thunder Underground.  It is a must have for an elementary school classroom or home collection.  These poems are sure to encourage children to think about the many unseen and unknown aspects of the world. 

For more great poems and poetry book selections, visit this week's Poetry Friday.

Author Spotlight: Chris Gall

I discovered Chris Gall’s work only recently when I came across one of his Dinotrux’s books. Struck by his amazing style, I checked out several of his other books.

Chris Gall has been working as an illustrator for more than 20 years.  With close to a dozen picture books published so far, he has already made an indelible mark on the industry. Working as both author and illustrator on most of his books, he has shown innovative vision and extraordinary talent. His style has similarities to other beloved illustrators like David Wiesner, Steven Kellogg, and Chris Van Allsburg.

Like Wiesner, he has an amazing imagination. Gall brings the ordinary and the fantastic, mashes them together, and creates a captivating experience. For example, in Dear Fish he takes the ideas of pen pals and company visiting to hyperbolic and astonishing levels. Substitute Creature begins with every day occurrences in the classroom and moves them to outrageous flights of fancy.

Like Kellogg, he utilizes every space, including end, copyright, and title pages. Gall uses his illustrations as much as the text to move the storytelling forward and make little detours of humor. For instance, in The Revenge of the Dinotrux the bots escape after being “civilized” by school and books. Left in the tracks is the book Escape from Alcatraz. Also, there are often bits of irony and pun included. In Dear Fish, puns are abundant, such as when a school of fish invades a classroom and swordfish help a carpenter with his work. 

Like Van Allsburg, he is a profound storyteller.  Gall’s stories are not about animals or Dinotruxs.  Instead, his characters are often metaphors or symbols. The unruly Dinotruxs symbolize undesirable behaviors often found in children like impatience, thoughtlessness, and selfishness. Dog vs. Cat represents a blended family though it could be more universally connected to learning to get along with others. 

Gall’s illustrations are bold. They often have a three-dimensional appearance.  Sometimes, he employs techniques commonly found in graphic novels like blocking and multiple scenes on a page. A variety of mediums work together to create each illustration.  He frequently uses more traditional means like clay-engraved art or colored pencils with digital effects. Other books have revolutionary tools. Dinotrux was created using bearskins and stone-knives while Substitute Creature utilized bat wings, toad juice, and the bundled whiskers of a black cat. :)

Finally, his books often have a twist at the end. In Awesome Dawson the final scene depicts Dawson using one of his inventions to help in an alien invasion while Dinotrux simply has the eyes of one of the bots flash on. These types of endings prompt a discussion of inference and provide opportunities for creative writing. 

Like a great literary fiction, there are layers and layers to unpack in his books.   Look closely at the illustrations as well as their interconnectedness with the text. Chris Gall's books will surprise you with new insights and small treasures with each reading.

Dear Fish

Peter Alan writes a letter to the fish, places it in a bottle, and throws it out to sea. The next morning he wakes up to find the fish have taken him up on his offer to visit. They are everywhere—in the bathtub, at the baseball game, in the yard, and at the rodeo.  After numerous disruptions, he writes the fish another letter to encourage them to go back home.  Eventually, life returns back to normal.  Until, Peter Alan finds a note on the beach. This one is from the fish! 

Teaching Connections:  Puns (primarily in the illustrations), Onomatopoeia, Strong Verbs, Letter Writing, Inference 

Awesome Dawson

Dawson spends all his time repurposing toys and household items into new imaginative and useful creations.  Hating to do chores, he comes up with a solution—that ends up causing so much trouble, he wishes he was at home doing chores!  Dawson stops the “monster” machine, but he does not stop coming up with ways to make chore time go more quickly and efficiently.  

Teaching Connections: Simple Machines, Robotic, STEM, Recycling, Problem Solving, Inference

Substitute Creature

When a riotous class gets an unexpected substitute teacher, they think it is an opportunity for mischief and mayhem. Their substitute is not what they expected—nor what the audience thinks either. As he presents hard cases from past classes of daydreamers, doodlers, and paste-eaters, the audience is treated to highly imaginative and disastrous consequences that ensue.  Students are not fully convinced though until the substitute creature reveals his own past delinquency. 

Teaching Connections:  Inference, Irony, Creative Writing, Poetry, Rhyme, Hyperbole

Cat vs. Dog

Cat and Dog are far from being two peas in a pod. Dog is a playful mess.  Cat is seriously organized. Their idea of fun could not be more different. When trying to co-exist peacefully doesn’t work, it becomes an all out war.  An unexpected event prompts a truce though.  Will the peace last?   

Teaching Connections: Sibling/Step-Sibling/Friendship Relationships, Problem Solving, Puns, Hyperbole

DinoTrux

Dinotrux, part-truck, part dino demolition dynamos, ruled the world millions of years ago. Rude Rollodon, greedy Garbageadon, and edgy Dozeratops were just a few of the disruptive Dinotrux.  Ironically, they are so uncivilized that even the cave people are fussing at them! A terrible storm causes most of Dinotrux to rust and sink down, down, down into the mud.  The smart ones migrate south where they slowly lose their misbehaving ways and ancient features. Now they are always on the job and never quit working hard.  A prehistoric discovery may change everything though!

Teaching Connections:  Manners, Dinosaurs, Onomatopoeia, Irony

Revenge of the Dinotrux

After spending decades in a museum being poked, prodded, and mistreated, Tyrannosaurus Trux leads the other Dinotrux out into the modern world. Reminiscent of a Godzilla take-over (with lots of humor and irony), they wreak havoc on the town. The mayor sends them to school to learn “how modern trucks behave.”  School seems to be helping to tame their wild ways…at least until they are on the loose again. When the Dinotrux are tracked down deep in the woods, everyone is afraid to see what is causing all the commotion.  

Teaching Connections:  Manners, Dinosaurs, Onomatopoeia, Irony, Problem Solving

Gall has two new books premiering later this year. Nanobots will be released in August 2016. The Ninjabread Man with author C.J. Leigh is due out September 2016.

X Why Z Animals (by Mark Shulman & James Buckley Jr.)

Summary of X WhyZ Animals (by Mark Shulman & James Buckley Jr.)

X Why Z Animals is written for inquiring young minds.  This non-fiction book is broken into 8 sections, each a different class of animals—mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, arachnids, sea animals, birds, and dinosaurs.  The sections begin with a brief description of each class, including a description of characteristics unique to them.  Then, there are questions that kids commonly ask like:

Why do chameleons change color?

Why do snakes stick out their tongues?

Why do baby deer have spots?

Why do roosters crow in the morning?

Why do dolphins make clicking sounds?

Why do fish swim in schools?

The questions have a short explanation in child-friendly language.  There are also “X Why Z Facts” interspersed throughout, which are fun tidbits about animals.  Colorful photographs compliment each page of this “Time for Kids” book. 

Evaluation

The book is oversized with big print and vivid photographs.  The information is laid out well and the questions are engaging.  It is ideal for sitting with young children and reading out loud.

X Why Z Animals could be used in a classroom to accompany units on different classes of animals.  The only downside is that each animal class is not dealt with equally.  For instance, there are 20 pages devoted to mammals, but only 2 for amphibians. Granted it, children may be more interested in mammals because of their interaction with them at home, on farms, and in the woods.  However, I feel the coverage could be a bit more equal. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  I recommend it for kids ages 3-8.  They will enjoy the pictures and dialogue about some of their favorite animals. 

The X Why Z series includes books on space, the human body, and general questions.

Back to School: First Day Anxiety

This time of year, many families are getting ready to send their youngsters to school for the first time.  For some children (and parents), there is a mix of emotions—ranging from excitement to apprehension.  Books are wonderful springboards for discussing these feelings and building up enthusiasm for the big day.   Local public libraries have a large selection of books for this important milestone as well as other related areas.  Topics to search in the card catalog are First Day of School, Nursery Schools, Schools, School Buses, and Kindergarten. 

It is tough to divide the books available into categories because there is so much overlap.  For this post, the focus is on the anxiety related to the first day, such as separating from parents, experiencing a new place/routine, avoiding embarrassing moments, and making new friends.   Most of these stories can be used with either preschool and kindergarten children. 

My First Day at Nursery School (by Becky Edwards)

The narrative opens with a young girl eating breakfast and thinking about the very important day ahead of her.  It is her first day of nursery school.  When she arrives at school though, she has second thoughts about staying.  Despite the colorful environment and warm people, only one thing is on this young girl’s mind: “I want my mommy.”  She becomes distracted by the various new toys all around her.  After a while, she begins missing her mommy again—but not for long.  Painting with her classmates quickly and positively redirects her attentions.  Her longing for mother continues to creep up, each time with less intensity as those feelings are replaced with the wonder and energy of classroom exploration.  When her mommy comes to pick her up, the young girl has one thing on her mind:  “I want to stay at nursery school.”  This book beautifully depicts those mixed emotions that many children feel during this vital transition into independence.  The colorful pictures are appealing and active.  My First Day at Nursery School is the perfect way to prepare your preschooler for this new adventure. 

What Did You Do Today? (by Toby Forward)

Mother and son pack their lunches together on the first day of school.   After one last hug, they separate.  The narrative shows the corresponding experiences of the pair.  While the child is learning his classmates’ names, his mother is greeting her co-workers by name.  As the boy practices his letters, his mother is at her computer typing and working.  During clean-up at school, mother is washing up her coffee cup in the break room.  As their routines come to a close, the mother rushes to pick her son up.  They walk away hand-in-hand, talking about the day.  The narrative is general enough it can apply to either preschool or kindergarten. The parallel activities make this story an enriching read.  The child listener can see that his/her routine has many similarities to the adult work world.  Also, it is clear that even though they are apart, the mother often thinks of her son and she can’t wait to be reunited with him.  This depiction assures children that they remain close in heart, if not in proximity. 

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School (Lauren Child)

Lola does not believe she is big enough to go to school.   Besides, she could hardly find the time to go with everything there is to do at home.  Charlie, her older brother, attempts to entice her with the idea of school by sharing with her everything she will learn, such as her numbers up to 100 (which she does not need to know because there is no reason to have to count further than 10) and her letters (which she does believes is unnecessary because she can call people on the phone instead of writing).  Charlie creates entertaining scenarios for why she needs to learn these skills.  Then, she expresses her fears on what to wear, making friends, and eating in the cafeteria.  Lola’s fears are evaded with a little big brother wisdom.  She has a successful first day…she even brings home a new friend.  I Am Too Absolutely Small for School tackles many first day anxieties with sensitivity and humor.

Dinosaur Starts School (by Pamela Duncan Edwards)

The format of this picture book is different from all the others I reviewed.  The roles are reversed.  A young boy receives some "coaching” on how to prepare his dinosaur friend for his first day of school.   Hypothetical questions are asked and answered.  For example: 

“What if you got to the school gates, but Dinosaur wrapped his sharp claws around the fence and said in his timid dinosaur voice, ‘But it’s too big.  I’ll get lost.’ 

You’d say, ‘Don’t be silly!  You can’t get lost because our classroom is just the right size for dinosaurs.’”

Several common fears are addressed in a similar manner with a positive outlook and entertaining illustrations portraying typical school preparation and activities.   Dinosaur Starts School effectively uses humor and a child “expert” to help navigate the first day nervousness felt by many children. 

Further Reading:

I Am Not Going to School Today (by Robie H. Harris)

I Don’t Want to Go to School! (by Stephanie Blake)

My First Day of School (by Nancy Skarmeas)
Tinyflock Nursery School (by Suzy-Jane Tanner)

Will I Have a Friend? (by Miriam Cohen)

Non-Fiction Monday: Barnum Brown: Dinosaur Hunter (by David Sheldon)

Summary of Barnum Brown: Dinosaur Hunter (by David Sheldon):

On February 12, 1873, William and Clara Brown were blessed with a son.  Inspired by the great showman P.T. Barnum, they named their child Barnum.  Like his name sake, he grew into an extraordinary young man.  His family farm was on a site that had once been an ocean.  He loved spending his days exploring and finding fossils of ancient sea creatures.  His family often read the newspaper accounts of great dinosaur discoveries. These experiences prompted Barnum to long to discover a new dinosaur.  After studying paleontology, he landed a job at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.  He was sent on in search of dinosaur fossils.  His many discoveries are highlighted, leading scientists to a greater understanding of the field and prompting a fascination in the American public. 

Evaluation:

David Sheldon wrote and illustrated Barnum Brown: Dinosaur Hunter.  The textured, multi-dimensional illustrations are a mixture of India ink, gouache, and acrylic paint.  They often mix the fantastic with the realistic, illuminating Barnum’s imagination and reality. Sheldon pulls relevant details from Barnum’s early life to reveal how he developed his passion and work ethic.  The high points of his professional contributions are depicted with enthusiasm and fascination.  This book is a wonderful contribution to biography, history, and science.  Much is published about the discoveries but little is readily available about those who helped develop and shape the knowledge we possess.   I recommend Barnum Brown: Dinosaur Hunter as part of a dinosaur unit study or leisure reading at home.  It is ideal for ages 7 and up. 

This post is linked up with other Non-Fiction Monday reviews posted at Practically Paradise.  

Poetry Friday: Dinothesaurus (by Douglas Florian)

Dinosaurs are a popular topic, especially among children.  I came across a fun and informative book by Douglas Florian called Dinothesaurus: A Book of Prehistoric Poems and Paintings. The illustrations are a wonderful mixture of painting, drawing, and collaging that appear as if a child created them, adding to their charm.  The poems focus primarily on the various types of dinosaurs.  They function both as descriptions of their appearances and habits as well as an amusing play on words.  Dinothesaurus is sure to delight children of all ages.  I recommend it for home or school.  These poems are perfect for a dinosaur unit study or playful readings/recitations. 

“Triceratops”  

try-SAIR-a-tops (three-horned face)

Triceratops,

Try-scare-a-tops.

Try-wouldn’t-want-to-dare-a-tops.

Triceratops.

Try-stare-a-tops.

Beward-and-please-take-care-a-tops.

Born with three great horns in place,

Triceratops was in your face.

“Stegosaurus”

steg-oh-SAW-rus (roof lizard)

Ste-go-SAUR-us

Her-bi-VOR-ous

Dined on plants inside the forest.

Bony plates grew on it back,

Perhaps to guard it from attack.

Or to help identify

A Stegosaurus girl or guy.

Its brain was smaller than a plum.

Stegosaurus was quite DUMB.

This post is linked up with the Poetry Friday round-up.  Check out other poems and anthologies at The Opposite of Indifference.