If You Dig Fossils, The Nonfictional Scientist in the Field Series: Digging For Bird Dinosaurs Is Worth a Look

Dig dinosaurs?  In Digging for Bird Dinosaurs, Nic Bishop takes us on a journey in his exploration of the avian dinosaur world.  Set in Madagascar, the story details the life of a paleontologist on an expedition to find dinosaur bones.  

Synopsis: Bishop brings the reader into the world of paleontology, uncovering the remarkable connections between modern birds and their ancient relatives. The cover, featuring images of dinosaur fossils and excavation tools, immediately sparks the imagination and sets the tone for an adventure into the past. The book provides a vivid and detailed account of the painstaking process of discovering and studying these fascinating creatures.  Bishop gives the reader insight into the daily existence of paleontologists at work.  He details a life that is not quite as glamorous as young dinosaur lovers may imagine.  Bishop incorporates tales from the paleontologists featured as well as details about their discoveries that might not ordinarily be available to young readers.  Bishop not only details discoveries but explains what they mean.  He also gives readers some insight into what life is like for the people who live in the area of the expedition; noting that children there may not attend school, or what local markets are like. 

Of particular interest to a budding paleontologist might be the information scientists gained from the fossils found in the quarry.  In the quarry, the bones found were so well preserved that scientists could even see the lines of the capillaries in the bones when viewed under a microscope. 

Conclusion: Digging for Bird Dinosaurs not only adds to our understanding of the ancient past, but also ignites a sense of wonder about the world around us with vivid descriptions, details, and photographs. 

My Takeaway: The narrative is filled with detailed facts and photographs of an actual expedition. However, the story itself may be a bit dry to a reader who is not particularly interested in paleontology. To find out more about this story read about it on Goodreads.

Word Count: 327

Tags:  #dinosaurs #nonfiction #childrens