Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist

by Linda Skeers, Marta Álvarez Miguéns (Illustrator)

This is the story of a woman who dared to dig, explore, and discover. This is the story of Dinosaur Lady.

Mary Anning loved scouring the beach near her home in England for shells and fossils. She fearlessly climbed over crumbling cliffs and rocky peaks, searching for new specimens. One day, something caught Mary's eye.

Bones. Dinosaur Bones.

Mary's discoveries rocked the world of science and helped create a brand-new field of study: paleontology. But many people believed women couldn't be scientists, so Mary wasn't given the credit she deserved. Nevertheless, Mary kept looking and learning more, making discoveries that reshaped scientific beliefs about the natural world.

Dinosaur Lady is a beautiful and brilliant picture book that will enlighten children about the discovery of the dinosaurs and the importance of female scientists. It also includes a timeline of Mary Anning's life and lots of fantastic fossil facts!

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Science, Childrens, History, Dinosaurs

40 pages, Hardcover

First published July 7, 2020

Reviews

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary learned to read and write at Sunday school, but she wanted to learn more. She had so many questions about the bones and fossils she found, and she needed answers! She borrowed books and copied scientific papers. She sketched intricate drawings of her discoveries, and she made notes.

This picture book is about Mary Anning also known as Princess of Paleontology and the Dinosaur Lady. It serves as a biographical read with eye-catching colorful pictures. This talks about the highlights of her life and how she overcame the sexist and discriminatory society two hundred years ago and became the first person to discover the remains of dinosaurs.

There are also some bone bits and fossil facts mentioned at the back with more details of Mary Anning's life. A great way to teach kids the basics of Paleontology. I highly recommend this.

4 stars

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my toddler’s bedtime. A fantastic biography of Mary Anning, a paleontologist who discovered dinosaur fossils at a time when women was not allowed to attend school let alone holding a professional job. She didn’t have any education and self taught through curiosities. Men didn’t accept her findings at first but she didn’t let that deter her and continued to learn and discovered more fossils. Loved the illustrations.

Read from kindle unlimited.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Gosh. Educational!

Dinosaur Lady is about Mary Anning, the first paleontologist and OMG this book just screams me! Sure, I'm an adult but I still love an educational children's books full of pretty pictures! Seriously, this book got my nerd senses tingling.

My positives:
1. The design of the cover is GORGEOUS. Patterns, bright colours that draw attention, bones for the title - it all just SCREAMS awesome sauce. And I haven't even opened the book yet!

2. The illustrations inside the book are even better. It's like walking into a museum but instead you're opening up a book. They are memorizing and stunning and gorgeous. So beautiful!

3. Educational terminology like ammonites and belemnites are words I haven't heard since my school days. Even the official names, petricola pholadiformis, made me get thrilled. So much smartiness in one book! And yes, I put a fake word for comedy's sake. I'm hilarious.

4. The story telling and plot is very intriguing and fun to follow. I was really interested since I didn't know Mary's story and now I want to research her!

5. Girl power! Who doesn't love a good story about a girl being totally wicked cool?

6. There are also facts at the back of this book. Who doesn't love a good appendix for learning? Especially when they include big words with definitions, timelines and more educational goodies for young learners!

My negatives:
1. Mary's design doesn't perfectly match with the backgrounds, but that isn't much of a negative. It's more of an artistic pet peeve of mine. It affects the story in zero ways, but it's still something to consider. I don't think the target audience, kids, will care. Only very, very picky adults.

Overall, this book is totally awesome! Whether it's for a bed time reading, general story time or for educational purposes, I would highly recommend adding this book to your shelf! I will definitely be looking for more books like this one in the near future!

Five out of five stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for giving me an opportunity to read this book!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my five-year-old's favorite book for about a month. We read it A LOT. I'm happy that he's enjoying a book about dinosaurs that also features an awesome female paleontologist and didn't mind reading it over and over again :-) It's very engaging. I did have a few quibbles, such as the assumptions about what is scary and what isn't. When Mary and her brother find a fossil skull (Ichthyosaurus) on the beach, the book says, "It was frightening! But Mary wasn't scared. She was fascinated!" Later, it mentions that many geologists, scientists, and scholars traveled to Mary's cottage so she could answer their questions and take them fossil hunting. "Eager to learn more, they followed her over the cliffs, even if it terrified them (and it did!)" Certainly we want to highlight Mary's bravery, but to suppose everyone else was "terrified" seems a bit of an exaggeration. Still, overall it's a good introduction to Mary Anning and, as evidenced by my five-year-old's reaction, appealing for the younger picture book crowd. The back matter is good and provides a bit more information about the fossils Anning, found, a Timeline of her life, an Author's Note, and a Bibliography.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really wonderful book that introduces children to Mary Anning, the young girl sometimes dubbed "the first paleontologist" for her remarkable discoveries of fossils that helped open up the world of paleontology. The artwork is beautiful and the book gives a sense of Mary and of the times, when she was not allowed to be a part of the world she loved so much because of her gender. A timeline and glossary are provided at the end.

A good children's biography book doesn't just teach children about famous people from history but makes them seem like people we'd want to be friends with. This definitely fits the bill. It's a fantastic resource for teaching science, history and women's studies through a straight up lovely and enjoyable book.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's so much good nonfiction for young children nowadays. This is a brief introduction to the life and discoveries of Mary Anning, who made vital scientific discoveries despite having no education (she learned to read and write in Sunday school). I never knew that lightning struck her when she was an infant. And I'm sure kids will be interested to learn about fossilized poop.

[Isabel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Gorgeously illustrated and simply written, Dinosaur Lady provides a quick, fascinating look at Mary Anning’s life and contributions to science and paleontology. Scouring the oceanside, making larger-than-life discoveries, and being referred to as one of the very first paleontologists? Yes, please!! My inner-child self (and what the heck, my current adult self too) was blown away! If I could travel back in time and spend a day (or a month or a year) exploring alongside Mary Anning, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

A must-read for kiddos who love dinosaurs, digging, and discovering!

[Ula · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 🌟 Be so good, they can't ignore you

'Dinosaur Lady' tells the history of Mary Anning, one of the most famous British scientists and the first Paleontologist. The narration is compelling, and the story is written in a very positive and encouraging tone. The book treats about Victorian-era adversity, a woman had to face and shows how she eventually succeed to be recognized.

What I loved, was rich and brilliant illustrations by Marta Álvarez Miguéns that enriched the story and make it more compelling. Both I and my son were enchanted by the history written by Linda Skeers. I'd love to see more biographies like this one, targeted to the youngest readers.
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*Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.*

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS is why I love children's biographies! I'd never heard of Mary Anning before I grabbed this off the shelf at work, but it turns out she literally changed the world. Dinosaur Lady is a great little biography of this groundbreaking scientist! Fun fact: the tongue twister, she sells sea shells by the sea shore... is believed to be about Mary Anning.

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Shark Lady (via NetGalley) and loved it. This one is so good too!
5 stars! I am so sorry to say, I did not know about the lady that this is based on, Mary Anning. I have now found myself googling more information to share with my students. It is a fascinating read and I am going to recommend it to my students and parents as well as purchase a copy for the classroom.

Interesting and factual, old and young alike would enjoy this true story. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy to read for pleasure. Highly recommended.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover is what caught me first, that and I have loved everything that I have ever read about Mary Anning (not much out there but very interesting nonetheless). The art is wonderful all throughout the book, and there is a lovely timeline at the back (did you know that she was struck by lightning?!) that puts her life and her discoveries side by side. Good reading to cheer on strong females who persevered in the face of ignorance and adversity.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this so much that I read it twice. I knew a bit about Mary Anning, but this book educated me about more details of her life. She was an amazing woman who just got on with searching for bones and making a life for herself, whether or not men recognized her achievements.
The back matter includes a timeline of her life, facts about bones and fossils, and an author's note.
Marta Álvarez Miguéns' illustrations are delightfully appealing.

[Children's Literature Centre at FSU · Rating 4 out of 5]

We found this to be a welcomed biography about one of the first female paleontologists, Mary Anning.
We appreciated the way that Mary Anning was personified for young readers, as the author described her as fearless, determined, and deeply curious about her world. As she makes fascinating discoveries, Mary demonstrates the characteristics of a true scientist, including her willingness to keep "exploring and learning" and her ability to challenge beliefs about what a lady should or shouldn't talk about.
The resources at the end of the book also provide a nice introduction to the field of paleontology, and include key terms that are referenced in the story. The included timeline of Mary Anning's life is also a strong visual resource that could be used to help young learners recall and retell key ideas from the story.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy this quite as much as Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist (from the same illustrator but a different author), but still a fun, beautifully illustrated picture book that I learned a lot from!

Would definitely recommend for people who would like to learn more about history and women in science. 👩🏻‍🔬🔬🦕

🗓 52 Picture Books Challenge 2023: 9/52

[Christine Turner]

School Library Journal recommends this book for pre-school – 3rd grade.

As a kid, Mary Anning loved hunting for fossils with her father. One day, that hobby led to an unexpected discovery: the skeleton of a creature no one had never seen before! Mary had unearthed a dinosaur fossil, the first to ever be discovered. Her find reshaped scientific beliefs about the natural world and led to the beginning of a brand-new field of study: paleontology. For the rest of her life, Mary continued to make astonishing finds and her fossils are displayed in museums all across the world! The daring discoveries of Mary Anning not only changed the scientific world, but also helped change people's attitudes towards women scientists. Dinosaur Lady is a beautiful and brilliant picture book that will enlighten children about the discovery of the dinosaurs and the importance of women scientists.

Update: March 30,2022
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mary-a...

[Alastair · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting and beautiful book, but at times a little misleading (she certainly wasn’t the first palaeontologist!)

Anning is an important person in the world of palaeontology, having discovered the first ichthyosaur, the first (virtually) complete plesiosaur and the first pterosaur in the UK, amongst many others.

The book makes it sound like it was Anning’s discovery that made scientists realise fossils were millions of years old and states that “no one knew that a species could become extinct”. But back in the 17th century, Steno thought that fossils were creatures buried by sediments, and Hooke (way ahead of his time) thought that ammonites were extinct species, a theory which was expressed again in the 18th century by Cuvier who studied fossils of the Miocene and Eocene. As to the actually dating of fossils, that was much later in the 20th century thanks to radiometric dating.

It is true that Anning, despite being very knowledgeable about fossils, was not allowed to partake in any official scientific business: women were not allowed to vote or to study at university back then. She did work together with various (male!) geologists and palaeontologists, as this was the only way her discoveries would be accepted in the scientific community.

Understandably, this is a simplified version of her life, and it doesn’t cover her financial hardship or other issues. It is, barring the aforementioned, generally good, informative, interesting, and hopefully for young readers inspirational.

[Mrs. Mazzola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent biography filled with interesting facts, but in an easy to read narrative, with the added bonus that it tells the story of an important woman in science. I have rarely seen any picture books that talk about female paleontologists, so this is a welcome addition to the growing trend of important, but often overlooked, women in picture book biographies. The illustrations seems a little muted, which I didn't love and it is an oversimplification to say that she was the first as if there weren't other people who had done important work before her, but aside from those minor points, it was great.

*Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for a digital copy. All opinions are my own.*

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through NetGalley from Sourcebooks Kids. My 5 year old who loves dinosaurs gave this book 5 stars. My whole family was enthralled by Mary’s Monster discoveries. Imagine the first dinosaur bones being uncovered by a woman in 1811 before scientists even knew creatures could become extinct and before they knew dinosaurs had existed. This is an empowering and exciting picture book for kids. It is easy to read and captures the thrill of discovery. My son loved the timeline and facts at the end of the book that brought the whole story into perspective. It wasn’t until 2010 that Mary was recognized as an influential woman of science. Recommended for ages 4-8.

[Samantha Fraenkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book! I had never heard of Mary Anning and am really glad that I now know about her and her achievements; what an amazing woman! My daughter loves dinosaurs and this is exactly the type of book I would give her to read since it is well written and illustrated, contains lots of facts about Anning and dinosaurs, and shows an influential woman in the field of science. Well done!

ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Holly Pretzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe this book sat on my shelf so long before I read it. What a great snapshot of Mary Anning, the first female paleontologist, who struggled in a male-dominated world. I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this. I am so impressed with this woman who had such an interesting career, but was not adequately recognized in her time.

AND, I learned, in the wonderful end matter, that the tongue twister "She sells seashells by the sea shore" is about Mary Anning. Who knew?

[Lynsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's nothing not to love about this. Mary Anning did remarkable things, and she deserves to be recognized for them. Presenting scientific facts within this adorably illustrated biography is a great way to introduce kids to paleontology and a great woman from history.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this kids book and the history of Mary Anning, and I had no idea that she was the inspiration of She Sells Sea Shells by the Seashore! Who knew?

Read as a part of Britta's 1001 Women list: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

[Anthony Blasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten stars for how awesome Mary Anning was. I first discovered her in the third grade when I skipped over what we were supposed to be reading in our textbook. Been fascinated ever since and continue to be amazed by her tenacity and accomplishments!

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely illustrations and a kid-friendly overview of Mary Anning’s amazing discoveries and scientific work.

[Miki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one that I'm going to add to the list of books to get for my nephew! It's great!!!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Anning discovered fossils before most people thought to study them. She lives along the Jurassic Coast, where many fossils have since been found. At a very young age she made discoveries that the men of science had not discovered yet. She found fossilized poop. She discovered a flying reptile skeleton.

Yet, despite all her discoveries, she couldn't get into the science world becasue she was just a woman. The men didn't mind taking what she gave them, but didn't allow her to go to their gatherings.



So, she did what she could, and sold fossils from her store. She is now known to have discovered five major species.

Very good, easy to read picture book, that gives kids an idea of her amazing life.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: Reread with my 6yo for our B&R-1st grade hs science curriculum; fossil unit.
It's one of our faves on Mary Anning!


We received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Mary Anning grew up by the sea in England and spent her childhood searching the shores for shells, rocks, and fossils. Her curiosity led her to research everything she could about the bones and fossils she found. One day, while on the beach with her brother, they discovered a dinosaur skull before the word 'dinosaur' even existed! Her discovery went off to a museum for others to ponder over. Meanwhile, Mary continued to make new and exciting discoveries despite the limitations she had at a time when women weren't even allowed to go to university. Nonetheless, her discoveries helped form paleontology!

Dinosaur Lady is a wonderful look at the life and discoveries Mary Anning, the first paleontologist, with lovely illustrations that make you feel like you are right there with her combing the beach and discovering bone formations in the cliff sides.

I really enjoyed that some of the scientific names of the fossils and shells that Mary collected were included in the story, like ammonite and coprolite, as well as the overall museum feel of the book! I also love a good story about a woman persevering despite her limitations! This book is inspiring!

Includes a spread about 'bone bits and facts' as well as a timeline spread of Mary's life and discoveries!


This review was originally shared with photos on my blog, Lazy Day Literature.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The target audience for this picture book biography is likely 6-10 years which puts it right in the mix for the age group that seems to fascinated by the topic of dinosaurs. Mary Anning is not a name that is typically associated with paleontology and yet she was the one to unearth some of the first dinosaur skeletons! This excellent nonfiction work by Linda Skeers conveys the facts simply and allows the messages of perseverance and women can do anything they want to come through loudly and clearly without being overbearing. Artwork by Marta Alvarez Miguens supports the text beautifully and is sure to capture the eye of young readers. Back matter includes an over-sized and easy to read timeline as well as an informative author’s note. Great addition to any library or Science classroom serving 1st to 3rd grade students. Thanks for the unsolicited ARC, Sourcebooks. I will likely add it to my grandkids’ library at Grammy’s house.

[Emily✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mary Anning is a worthy subject for a children's biography, though the claim that she was "the first paleontologist" is quite an exaggeration. The writing in Dinosaur Lady is nothing special, but the artwork is very cute. I appreciate that it points out the misogyny that Anning faced in the scientific community at the time, and that some of Anning's 'smaller' discoveries (coprolite, belemnite ink) were just as important as the big impressive dinosaur skeletons. The back matter misleadingly equates coprolites (fossilized feces) to bezoars-- saying that coprolites are "also known as bezoars" rather than that they were mistakenly believed to be bezoars. Overall, I wasn't much impressed with this book--it was just okay, though it could certainly lead curious young readers to explore more about Mary Anning and paleontology.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Sourcebook Kids through NetGalley.
Elementary level biography of Mary Anning. Skeers shares information about her life and discoveries. She addresses the lack of respect for women in science at that time as part of Anning's life story. She also includes fossil and dinosaur facts and a timeline of her life at the end of the book. The Author's Notes offers more information as well.
The illustrations captured Mary's energy and range of emotions. Readers can see her determination and perseverance to explore and support herself.
This is a book for mid-elementary level. It's a starting point biography to encourage further exploration.