Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this fascinating biography. It will be released January 25, 2022, by Clarion Books.
Mary Anning was born into poverty. The family couldn't afford school fees for their children so their father took Mary, and Joseph, her older brother, with him when he went in search of fossils. They sold their finds to augment the meager earnings he made as a carpenter. The children became expert fossil finders.
After their father died, the children roamed the coast in search of buried treasure. Joseph found the skull of a huge fossil. Mary searched for a year before a storm exposed the body of the creature. Her mother hired men to remove the rock from the cliff and bring it to their basement. Mary, now twelve years old, painstakingly chipped away at the rock to reveal the bones hidden in it. It was the first complete ichthyosaurus skeleton ever found. Mary had discovered a way to support her family and follow her passion.
This book takes young readers through Anning's many fossil finds and scientific breakthroughs. At the same time it doesn't stint about the hardships Mary and her family endured. It makes it clear the challenges she faced because of her poverty, gender and class.
Not only is the cover artwork drop dead gorgeous, the whole book is visually stunning.
Gorgeous paintings showing prehistoric creatures in their natural habitat grace the pages. It abounds with nonfiction text features. Captioned photographs and paintings are found on almost every other page. There are labeled drawings and diagrams, and coloured maps. Each Chapter begins with a quote. The back matter includes a note by the author, acknowledgements, and a timeline that puts Anning's life and scientific findings in the context of larger global events. It also includes an illustrated glossary, a list of places where you can find Mary Anning's fossils today, source quotes, a bibliography, and an index.
Cheryl Blackford, the author, was born in England. She developed a passion for rocks at an early age and eventually became a geologist. She has been fossil hunting at Lyme Regis, and has studied Anning artifacts and archival materials.
I can't remember the first time I heard about Mary Anning. Her name was mentioned in some historical novel I read a long time ago. At that time I couldn't find out much about her. Today there are numerous books about this remarkable woman. This one, written for elementary/middle grade readers, is a wonderful addition to them.
I would pair this book up with the picture book, Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist by Linda Skeers & Marta Álvarez Miguéns (Illustrator). It will provide readers with background knowledge and get them excited to learn more about this amazing woman.
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