The Extinct Files: My Science Project

by Wallace Edwards

Wally was planning to do his science project on his pet iguana. But just as he was getting started, he made a major discovery sure to rock the scientific community. He saw a dinosaur. Not a fossil, but a real dinosaur, right outside his bedroom window. Dinosaurs are alive -- and living among us. In fact, they are right in Wally's backyard! With the aid of stunning eyewitness accounts, The Extinct My Science Project details the habitat, diet, grooming, health and fitness, communication and recreation of the contemporary dinosaurs, and much more. Wally has done his homework and it shows. His project follows tried-and-true scientific methodology and contains page after page of photographic evidence. But his shocking conclusion shows that today's dinos guard their privacy fiercely ?

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Childrens, Dinosaurs, Science, Animals, School

32 pages, Paperback

First published July 10, 2006

About the author

Wallace Edwards was a Canadian children’s author and illustrator whose imagination transformed the world of animals and strange creatures for a generation of children. His illustrations don’t condescend to children, they engage the imagination on multiple levels, blending childhood whimsy with adult sophistication.
A Canadian illustrator and writer who won the 2002 Governor General's Award for his first children's book Alphabeasts., Edwards was also the recipient of a multitude of awards and short lists, the Gold Medal from ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Award, and the Children’s Choice Award from the International Reading Association for Alphabeasts; the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award, The Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award, the Children’s Choice Award from the International Reading Association for Monkey Business; the Canadian Library Association’s Honour for Mixed Beasts; and the Junior Library Guild Award for The Cat’s Pajamas.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Edwards was a graduate of the Ontario College of Art, and his work can be found in numerous public and private collections. He has also worked widely with Metro Toronto Zoo, the City of Toronto, the B.C. Ministry of the Environment, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, the Canadian Wildlife Federation, and various magazines.
On October 16, 2007, Wallace Edwards was nominated for the Governor General's Award for illustrating The Painted Circus. To date, Edwards has both written and illustrated fifteen published books, of which three have been nominated for this, Canada's most prestigious literary award.
His art has been described as “Curious and witty, sophisticated and highly original in approach…” resulting in work which is “visually pleasing as well as mentally stimulating” (taken from the Canada Council for the Arts web site). His children’s books have been reviewed in the Quill and Quire, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Macleans, the Christian Science Monitor, the National Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, the Washington Post, and the School Library Journal, among others.
Edwards was also a pioneering artist in virtual and augmented reality. In 2013 he was the Canada Council supported Artist-in-Residence at York University's Future Cinema Lab where he first began to create augmented and immersive materials. He has since gone on to create work in virtual and augmented reality exhibited at the international Electronic Literature Organization conferences in Portugal, Canada and Italy.
Edwards lived in Yarker, Ontario, Canada, and died on December 25, 2022, in Kingston, Ontario, at the age of 65.

Reviews

[Tina Haigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! ! A sweet, darling boy realizes dinosaurs still exist and decides to write a report on it, but little does he know that the dinosaurs have other plans. What a precious story! It starts off with a classified letter from the DIA (Dinosaur Intelligence Agency), and the book itself is the boy's science report, with notes and cute puns as added bonuses. You can really tell that this took a lot of imagination to write, and that truly shined in the artwork. The "photographs"--done in watercolor, gouache, and pencil--were done brilliantly, and I especially loved the color used on the dinosaurs; it really brought them to life, showing their distinct personalities. I would've cherished this book as a child--to the point it probably would've been falling apart from how many times I would've read it--so I definitely recommend this for children ages 6 and up.

[Dylan & Belle at LearnPlayFun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated and reviewed by Dylan, age 7

Funny, funny, funny. I like the part where the dinosaur ate half of the building. And dinosaurs at the restaurant. It was funny to see the dinosaurs reading the same book we were reading.

[Travis Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars copyright 2006 genre fantasy. Theme curiosity. Favorite part of the book the clever descriptions of different dinosaurs. I would use this book in my future classroom on a unit discussing the fantasy genre.

[Kid's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a hit. Lots of laughs and great pictures.

[Genee121 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is was a fun book to read. Much better than I thought it would be. This would be a great book to introduce young students to dinosaurs. It has animal diversity and the structure and function of what was once living organisms. It is also a fun book to read about fossils, and also about what the meaning of extinct is. I could easily have a spelling and or vocabulary test using the words from this book. Simply hilarious! I like the part where the dinosaur ate half of the building and dinosaurs at the restaurant. It was funny to see the dinosaurs reading the same book we were reading. I loved this. Every page had something fun to see and make you laugh. Great Photographs. The watercolors truly brought the sketches to life.

[Melanie, Aaron, Annie, and Mary Project · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read by: Annie
Genre: science fiction
Author: Wallace Edwards
Interest Level: 3-5
Grade Level Equivalent: not available.

This book is written in the style of a science report from an elementary student - it even has string bindings illustrated along the inside of each page. It shows some parts of the scientific method, such as "objective," "hypothesis," "apparatus," and "method." The remaining pages detail his observations of dinosaurs in their natural environment - they are quite like humans in many ways. This book is richly illustrated and pretty funny. It would be a good transition into starting a science project, especially if it is a nature project.

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

While researching his school report Wallace discovered actual dinosaurs living--and partying--right under society’s collective nose. He has documented all he saw and heard in this comical picture book of dinosaurs engaged in decidedly human activities--roller skating, discussing movies over tea, wearing makeup, and more. Young dinosaur fans will likely giggle with delight as they pore over the vivid and highly-detailed mixed media “photographs” Wallace has snapped of the prehistoric beasts. This is a fun “what if” fantasy to include with elementary dinosaur units.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun way to introduce children to the scientific method and the components of a science fair project. Wally was going to do his project on his pet iguana but then he discovers that dinosaurs aren't extinct. They are alive and all around us. He goes on to describe his observations about their diet (they will eat almost anything, including canned food--garbage can food), health and fitness (they play fossilball), and communication (they play/sing haunting, romantic songs) and other aspects of their life. The illustrations greatly add to the interest and humor of this book. Really loved it!

[Ileana Lindner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Extinct Files: My Science Project
Author: Wallace Edwards
Grades 1st through 3rd

This is such a fun book to introduce to younger children about dinosaurs. It has animal diversity and the structure and function of what was once living organisms. It is also a fun book to read about fossils, and also about what the meaning of extinct is. This book would be a wonderful fun read to explain the meaning of extinction with grades first through third.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of dinosaurs is creatively told in school report form. Wally Edwards, the boy writing the reports, goes into great detail about how dinosaurs have adapted to living in the urban jungle. He covers everything from habitat to recreation. He draws little illustrations and take photographs of the dinosaurs he comes across. But when it comes time to hand in the report... the dinosaurs ate his homework!

Excellent illustrations.

[Relyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about Wallace Edwards somewhere and got this book to check him out. I enjoyed it, but my eight year old was completely enthralled. She shared it with her best friend, who also adored it. They both invented their own extinct files complete with imaginary extinct animals. They turned out to be wonderful books. This was terrific!

[Brenda Pritchard]

preschool story time; print motivation, awareness of words in the book as lines are drawn on the pages describing the picture. Narrative skills, phonological awareness, different vocabulary that children might not otherwise hear.

This book is written like a science experiment about dinosaurs (extinct). It is a cute blend of non-fiction and fiction.

[Savannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hope to re-read this book once my children grow a little older. At 2 and 4 it was a bit much for them. As for me, it was tough to read because it wasn't keeping their attention. I liked the specifics though. Habitat, diet, grooming, communication, mating, defenses, education, occupations, and recreation. I also enjoyed the ending.

[Sarah Collier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This nonfiction book was a clever take on a science project. I woul utilize this book as a fun way to review the parts of a science experiment. It has a lot of humor and great illustrations. My three year old enjoyed the pictures although, I think this book is more sutited for 1st -3rd.

[Teresa Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A science fair project attempts to prove that dinosaurs never became extinct. Would be a good and humoruous introduction to the scientific process. Surprise ending is a twist on the "dog ate my homework" excuse many student still try to use.

[Candace Carr]

This book would be read to a third grade classroom on a unit about fossils. I would start out by reading this story to students to show them a fun story about dinosaurs and relate it to how fossils are what have given evidence about dinosaurs.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

a boy is writing a report to prove that dinosaurs still do exist. He takes pictures, notes and makes observations about their hidden lives. When he wakes the next day he finds his report is missing and suspects the dinosaurs did it - to keep their existence a secret. Pretty long

[Alexandria Hiam · Rating 3 out of 5]

a boy is writing a report to prove that dinosaurs still do exist. He takes pictures, notes and makes observations about their hidden lives. When he wakes the next day he finds his report is missing and suspects the dinosaurs did it - to keep their existence a secret. Pretty long

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Every page had something fun to see and make you laugh.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Wallace Edwards book. Wow this guy can really illustrate. His sense of humor is pretty good (doesn't resort to the potty level). Fun book.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

A science report on a pet iguana quickly becomes a discovery of living dinosaurs. Very fun read. Really like the layout of his methodology.

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute way to introduce how to write a report and what to include. There are also some quite humorous remarks :)

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is super-cute! I love that the story is told through the format of a scientific observation journal.

[Sharper1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cute.

[Heather Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute book about a boy who did a science project to prove that dinosaurs still exist. Very entertaining and enjoyable for all ages

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

grade:3-5
topic: dinosour



talks about different procedules of scientific experiments
-objective
-hypothesis
-appratus
-method
-conclusion

humorous
fun
intereting

[Ratforcekids]

This funny picture book uses the form of scientific observations to try proving the existence of the modern dinosaur in the main character’s backyard.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A report from a child about how dinosaurs are living in today's society but are very secretive and don't want their whereabouts known.

[Hillvan]

710L