The Dino Files #1: A Mysterious Egg

The Dino Files #1

by Stacy McAnulty, Mike Boldt (Illustrations)

What if you found a dinosaur in your own backyard? Get ready to raise a baby dinosaur in the Dino Files series!
When Frank s grandma finds the fossil of a dinosaur egg, it s an amazing discovery. Even more amazing? When that egg hatches! Now Frank and his cousin Samantha need to figure out how to take care of a baby dinosaur. They know what he eats. (Lettuce, NOT cookies.) They know he can t be left alone. (He makes BIG messes.) But do they know how to keep him a secret?
This fun chapter book series is perfect for kids who love to laugh out loud while learning about dinosaurs. Back matter includes a glossary of dino terms.
Reviews:
T. rex sized fun! McAnulty combines a pitch-perfect voice, fascinating science, exciting adventure, and laugh-out-loud humor, creating a wildly entertaining page-turner. Middle Shelf
A fresh take on a fossilized premise, this will appeal to dino fans and readers with their own nerd badge. The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books
There will always be kids fascinated by dinosaurs, and this is just the series for them. Booklist"

Genres: Chapter Books, Dinosaurs, Childrens, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Animals, Fantasy

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2016

About the author

Stacy McAnulty is a children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, who’s also qualified to be a paleontologist (NOT REALLY), a correspondent for The Daily Show (why not), and a Green Bay Packer coach (totally!). She is the 2017 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Recipient for Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Her other picture books include Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, illustrated by David Litchfield; Brave and Beautiful, both illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff; Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite, illustrated by Edward Hemingway; and 101 Reasons Why I’m Not Taking a Bath, illustrated by Joy Ang. She’s also authored the chapter book series Goldie Blox, based on the award-winning toys, and The Dino Files. Her debut middle grade novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, will publish in 2018. When not writing, Stacy likes to listen to NPR, bake triple-chocolate cupcakes, and eat triple-chocolate cupcakes. Originally from upstate NY, she now lives in Kernersville, NC with her 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 1 husband.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically a modern The Enormous Egg. While I appreciate that some of the less appealing "old-fashioned" aspects from the original are absent, I also felt it lacked the charm and heart of Butterworth's book. I didn't really like the voice of our protagonist here and none of the characters felt that memorable. Still, it was nice to see the grandma as a paleontologist, and I appreciated the solution for what to do with the dinosaur. My eight-year-old enjoyed it well enough, but didn't ask for more in the series.

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Frank L. Mudd’s grandparents own the Dinosaur Education Center of Wyoming, which he goes to visit every summer --even though he lives in North Carolina--. Frank fancies himself a dinosaur expert in the making. Science is his favorite subject, and dinosaurs are his favorite topic. One day, his grandparents find a fossilized --perhaps-- dinosaur egg! Sam, Frank’s annoying cousin who is visiting from California, will not leave the egg alone. She wants to do an autopsy on the egg instead of leaving it alone. While Frank and Sam are discussing the egg it begins to move! Before long, they are in possession of the first live dinosaur in more than 65 million years! Sam and Frank are not certain of what to do next, but they know that they need to protect the dinosaur, Peanut, and make sure he does not fall into the wrong hands. ‘The Dino Files: A Mysterious Egg’ is the first book in a trilogy (so far).

Questions:
What did Frank and Sam do when the egg hatch?
What would you have done?
Why was Mr. Crabtree so interested in the egg? Why did he try to claim it for his own?
How did the relationship between the Mudd family and the Crabtree family change as the story progressed?
What is something you would have done to avoid Peanut getting so sick?

Citation:
McAnulty, S., & Boldt, M. (2016). The dino files: A mysterious egg. New York, NY: Random House Publishing.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A million ideas mix up in my brain. Tell Gram. Don’t tell Gram. Pick him up. Don’t touch him. He needs food. He might eat me.”

Frank Mudd loves spending the summers with his grandparents. They own the Dinosaur Education Center of Wyoming (DECoW). Gram is a paleontologist and lets Frank work at DECoW. The bad thing about this summer? Frank’s annoying cousin Sam is there and for some reason, the parents felt like they should sign Frank and Sam up for soccer. What? Who wants to play soccer?

The good thing about the summer: Gram has just made an historic discovery: a dinosaur egg fossil. “I bet only one out of a gazillion people ever finds a dinosaur egg.” Frank is determined to keep the egg fossil safe from his clueless cousin and also the bully next door, Aaron Crabtree.

The amazing thing about this summer? The dinosaur egg hatches ... and only Frank and Sam know about it. Should they keep it to themselves? How will they take care of it? The excitement is just beginning.

Cute book for early readers.

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the dinosaur egg that his grandmother finds hatches, Frank and his cousin Sam decide that in order to keep it safe they must keep it a secret as well. A Mysterious Egg is the first book in the Dino Files series. With its short chapter format and black and white illustrations, this book will appeal to new chapter book readers looking for a fun series to enjoy as they gain new skill in reading longer books. Book extras include a glossary of dinosaur related vocabulary, a sneak peak at book two in the series, and on the inside back cover a guide to some more series from Random House Kids.

I would recommend this book for purchase by any school or public library.

This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[Kat O'Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed reading this book to my child. I thought it had a lot of information regarding dinosaurs without feeling like you were being taught. The information flowed very well into the story. The story was good but it also stops at cliffhanger. I, personally, want to know more and will try to look for this in the scholastic magazines/online. They also have a few points for AR if your child is required to do those.

[Clare Rossetter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Franklin's grandmother finds what she thinks is a dinosaur fossil. Her grandson Franklin is surprised when it hatches. This begins the adventure for Franklin and his cousin to discover how they can take care of this baby dinosaur. The illustrations are simple black and white and scattered throughout the text.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with our 7 year old son who likes dinosaurs and reading. He thought it was okay, but was ready to not finish it. Still we persevered and finished it within the month. Not sure if he'll go for book #2. I thought it was cute and a fun chapter book to read with your kids. It had conflict, but good resolution and compromise.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 7.5 year old twin girls loved this book (as did I). They say to give it 100 stars out of 5. My one twin says it’s the best book she’s ever read. We will be purchasing the series!

It’s the first book we have absolutely loved since the Zoey and Sassafras books.
Good for girls and boys, elementary level.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids who like dinosaurs would like this book.

[Michele Virtue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast, easy read that captivated my 8yo

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 7 year old really liked this book. He’s excited for the next one.

[Aeicha · Rating 4 out of 5]

While spending the summer with his paleontologists grandparents (and his annoying cousin, Samantha), nine-year old dinosaur expert, Frank, gets the surprise of a lifetime: a real live baby dinosaur. The little dino, named Peanut, is pretty amazing and cute, but Frank and Samantha quickly learn that a prehistoric pet is anything but easy.

A Mysterious Egg, the first book in Stacy McAnulty’s new chapter book series, The Dino Files, offers up T. Rex sized fun! McAnulty combines a pitch-perfect voice, fascinating science, exciting adventure, and laugh-out-loud humor, creating a wildly entertaining page-turner.

Young readers will be fascinated by the age-appropriate science, amused by Frank and Samantha’s misadventures in dino-sitting, and thrilled by all the imagination and adventure. Ready to work and learn Frank and wise-cracking, comedian in training Samantha, make for an endearing and entertaining pair. Readers will enjoy the fun banter between the two cousins. Saurus cat will charm you in the way only cats can and, of course, readers will fall in love with adorable Peanut.

The engaging illustrations throughout hilariously capture the story!

my final thoughts: The Dino Files #1: A Mysterious Egg is an exciting and funny first book in a series that is sure to delight dino-loving kids.

[blueygurl2016 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not great. Not terrible enough to be a one star but I definitely didn’t enjoy much about it. I liked the baby dinosaur though. This was probably one of those kids’ books I was too old to get the appeal of. Sam was kinda annoying.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good start to a series that will reel in lots of elementary grade level readers, partly because of its subject matter and partly because it deals with dinosaurs in a little different way. Frank and his cousin Sam are spending the summer in Wyoming with his grandparents. His grandmother is a paleontologist who discovers a fossil of an egg, a rare find. But Frank and his cat Saurus end up warming the egg--don't ask--and it hatches into an adorable dinosaur that Frank decides to keep hidden. The usual things happen, of course, with the dinosaur wreaking havoc on Frank's home, and the secret being known by Sam and then their neighbor, Aaron Crabtree whose father is interested in turning a profit on everything. I liked the passages in which Frank makes field notes as part of his science training, and I will be interested to see just how long Peanut's existence can be hidden. The book has plenty of funny moments--and I'm surely glad that Sam didn't smash that egg.

[Stephanie Tournas]

Nine year old Frank Mudd, "future paleontologist", is spending the summer at his grandparents' dinosaur museum and dig in Wyoming. When his grandmother the paleontologist unearths a fossilized egg, Frank is over the moon with excitement. Then Frank's cat, Saurus, sits on the egg, and it hatches, revealing a baby dinosaur that Frank names "Peanut", for the peanut-shaped horn on its nose. Frank keeps it a secret that the egg has hatched. He is not supposed to touch the specimens. And he doesn't want the land'a owner, Mr. Crabtree, or his bullying son, Aaron to get their hands on it. He only tells his cousin Sam when she discovers Peanut in Sam's room. But then Peanut gets sick, and all the players must work together to protect the baby dinosaur. Appealing illustrations and a glossary of dinosaur-related terms.

[Ricki]

This is a hilariously fun series that is sure to be a hit in classrooms. I see it working best in grades 1-3. As a child, I was disappointed when my chapter books no longer had pictures, and this book is a great transitional book because it has the best of both worlds---a great story and pictures to go along with it! Frank reminds me of many kids. He is frustrated by all of the rules set out for him, and he just wants to have fun. He manages to sneak around a bit and something awesome happens with that dinosaur egg (I'll let you guess)! I also want to put in a plug for the fact that Frank is a cat lover. My son loves cats, and I hate how books/shows always feature males as dog lovers and females as cat lovers. I loved Saurus the cat!

[Natalie {I'd So Rather Be Reading} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read Macy Kate's Book Report HERE.

Overall, this is a great middle grade series for:

Hesitant readers. The writing style is really easy to follow and comprehend.

Both girls & boys.

Animal lovers.

Future scientists.

Little sleuth's.

This is a series that is fresh and just beginning to roll out and will give young readers something to look forward too and begin to develop those feelings of anticipation (and sometimes distress :). It is best to start them young and really develop these intense book habits-- really it's good for our society.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review with teaching tools: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1...

I plowed through this and the sequel because I loved the premise and the characters so much! I love that Frank and Sam represent such different types of kids within each of them and between each of them; I think so many readers will relate to their personalities. I also really liked how dinosaurs are introduced throughout the book without making the book didactical in any way. Instead it is educational and funny! This series is a wonderful introduction to early chapter books also because it is very engaging and will appeal to all kinds of readers.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

couldn't begin to tell you the title or much else about it, but I distinctly remember a book from when I was a kid about a dinosaur egg that hatched and the adventures that went along with it. There's also countless TV shows, like Denver the Last Dinosaur that touch upon the trope, and The Dino Files is a fun, more modern take on the story. A fun introduction to dinosaurs for the age group, some definite drama , and it was a good nostalgia trip for me and will likely appeal to a lot of kids who can't get enough of everything dinosaur. Worth a look for those kids.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The introduction to this book was profound and full of coolness, just like Frank Mudd; future paleontologist. I enjoyed the way this book flowed, with very smooth transitions between pages and chapters. I also appreciated the fact that this book contained both fact and fantasy; what dinosaur enthusiast wouldn't love to find a real-life dinosaur like Peanut?! Ultimately, this book has the ability to both captivate the reader and ensure that the reader will read the next book in the series. This mystery is to be continued...

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We really enjoyed this funny and entertaining chapter book. The main character, Frank, is full of spunk and funny one-liners. While spending the summer with is paleontologist grandparents, Frank is amazed when his grandmother discovers a rare fossilized dinosaur egg. Then the egg hatches and chaos ensues.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short chapters and simple vocabulary make this appropriate for readers who are just starting to attempt chapter books. The book is heavily illustrated with cartoon black-and-white illustrations that often incorporate humor. The topic will especially appeal to boys, although any young reader in grades one through three will enjoy this promising start to a good early chapter book series.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute, the kids are funny and realistic without being too annoying and it has a dino! This would be a great book for a new reader.

[Shazzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute introduction to a new chapter book series about a mysterious dinosaur egg. Sure to entrance many little dino fans, and have them eager for more.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful new transitional chapter book series. Perfect for grades 1-3.
My full review: http://mrsknottsbooknook.blogspot.com...

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute beginning chapter book for grades 1-5.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is perfect for kids who grew up loving dinosaurs but are beyond Dino picture books. It has well developed characters and good suspenseful storylines

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Umm-if you have a child in your life that wants to read only about dinosaurs you could try this.

[DGPL Kids]

AR Level: 3.3/ 2 points

[Miquela · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter enjoyed it enough to ask, a month after finishing it, if we could get another Dino Files book.