Curious Bones: Mary Anning and the Birth of Paleontology

by Thomas W. Goodhue

Recounts the life and work of Mary Anning, who collected fossils throughout her life and made major discoveries in paleontology when that branch of science was first emerging.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Science, Palaeontology, History, Juvenile

112 pages, Library Binding

First published November 1, 2002

About the author

Thomas W. Goodhue is a United Methodist who pastored congregations in Nassau, Suffolk and Hawaii, led youth ministry on Long Island and in California, taught young children at the Riverside Church in Manhattan, and led the Long Island Council of Churches and the Multi-Faith Forum for seventeen years. He has published five books. The Catholic Press Association honored "Sharing the Good News with Children" and the New York Public Library named "Curious Bones: Mary Anning and the Birth of Paleontology" as “One of the Best Books for the Teenage Years.” In 2022, McFarland published his biography of the Hawaiian queen Kaahumanu, who overturned taboos and welcomed missionaries. He now is completing another book about how to be a good neighbor in a multi-faith world.

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems to be a lot of interest in Mary Anning ever since Tracey Chevalier's remarkable Remarkable Creatures came out in 2009. However, aside from that book and the artsy but odd film "Ammonite" (which unnecessarily - and without any historical evidence - portrays Anning as a lesbian), most of it seems aimed at children, with our library alone stocking over half a dozen titles, ranging from very young picture books through middle grade full biographies.*

Won't go into Anning's story itself here - that's what the books are for - other than to highlight that she was an important but at-the-time-overlooked figure (that is to say, uneducated lower class female) in the early days of paleontology and geology, discovering a number of dinosaurs before the word "dinosaur" even existed.

I particularly chose to review this book, because with it's creepy portrait and graphically God-awful cover design it obviously needs all the help it can get (seriously; who stacks type like that??). But a number of others are equally good - including Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life (which despite it's cartoonish cover is a text- and photo-heavy bio aimed at the same middle grade audience as Curious Bones); the "graphic non-fiction" (i.e., comic book style) Mary Anning and the Great Fossil Discoveries; and the charming Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist and "Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning, both for very young readers.



And apparently these books keep coming out. Curious Bones here is the oldest (2002), while the others mentioned have all come out since 2020 - which begins to beg the question "how many of these do we need?" Still, with their empowering "women can do anything" message, it's certainly worth sharing at least a few of these with your child, girl OR boy.

* Similarly, there seem to be more young reader bios of Roy Chapman Andrews than "grown-up" books - maybe because dinosaurs and fossils are still seen largely as a topic for children? If so, what a shame…

[ML Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. Typical story from a gender perspective circa 1800. Woman works hard and yet gets little credit for until until nearly the end of her life. Academically, the discovery of creatures heretofore unknown causes a bit of a stir to religious beliefs. Mary Anning was a precursor to Darwin.
Short read and easy enough for someone like me who has no scientific bent.

[Christine Rebbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second book about Mary Anning I read after "Remarkable Creatures"; oddly, my library doesn't seem to have ANY adult books about her, just children's books. This one is actually at about a middle-school level, I'd say. It would be an excellent introduction to paleontology, dinosaur fans, and even budding feminists!

There were a few differences between this non-fiction telling of Mary's life and the fictionalized one by Tracy Chevalier. This one says Mary's brother Joseph actually first "discovered" the ichthyosaurus, and then they both dug it out; in the fiction, it was just Mary who found it. I can see how the story was better served by having Mary find it, but I guess I have to believe the non-fiction version? Not that it matters... I will be looking forward to sharing this book with my grandson when he gets a little older, and I am delighted to be able to show him how a woman was in the forefront of the birth of this field of science.

[Kayrene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the story of Mary Anning, an extraordinary woman, who did the work she loved, against all current expectations. A rebel. Great story.

[Emi えみ Takami 鷹見 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting. Could be dry at times, but it was really a fascinating read.

[Dr Susan Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good introduction to the life, times and thinking of pioneer palaeontologist Mary Anning of Lyme Regis

[mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snoozefest! Although this was a factual biography I was forced to read for LA. I didn't enjoy it one but. I like fun and humorous books, this felt like reading a dictionary. Anyhow if you do like fact filled biographies this is a book about a female paleontologist named Mary Anning and her discoveries. I am all for her willpower but I felt it have some other facts, that I researched on the internet, some quirky facts like BBC said that "Mary called little bones dragon's teeth" I would have loved reading a book about the origin of dragons teeth rather than this book. Read if you please, but be WARNED!!


xoxo
Maddy, aka PiggyPie

[Fred Kohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it is a shame that my local library has three biographies of this wonderful woman in their children's section, and none in the adult section. Why, oh why, do we generally lose our fascination for science as we age, I wonder? I read this book as a supplement to the book Remarkable Creatures, a fictionalized version of Mary Anning's life. Both books are well worth reading. As a facts oriented guy, I preferred this one. Although in the children's department, it works quite well for adults.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this to gain info about the times and archeology happenings during time peorid of which William Smith from The Map that Changed the World lived. That book did not give credit to others making similar discovers during the time

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A child's introductory biography to Mat Anning's life and scientific contributions to the beginnings of paleontology.