Big Old Bones: A Dinosaur Tale [Paperback]

Carol Carrick (Author), Donald Carrick (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Professor Potts finds some big dinosaur bones and brings them back to his laboratory to reassemble, but the resulting skeletons never seem quite right.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Professor Potts's unique fossil assembly puts a sportive spin on anthropology--Donald Carrick's lushly-hued, intricate artwork completes the picture. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-- Fossilized dinosaur bones are like pieces to a puzzle, and scientists have not always put the puzzle together correctly. The Carricks' beautifully illustrated new book concerns a fictitious paleontologist, Professor Potts, and his struggles to construct a dinosaur from unidentified fossilized bones. First he builds a Tricerotops, then a Tyrannosaurus Rex, then a Brontosaurus; but all of his constructions seem to him too incredulous to have really lived. Finally, he combines all of the bones into one creature with the help of his wife, who sews a patchwork skin for it. He then presents his discovery to the world as a "Tribrontosaurus Rex." Carrick adds a helpful follow-up note explaining that although her tale is fictitious, its premise is true. She gives examples of paleontological "goofs"--the Iguanodon whose thumb was thought to be a nose horn, the Brontosaurus with the wrong head. Carrick's premise is all well and good; it's the implied snappy resolve which never materializes. Potts' imaginary construction is no more or less amazing than the real dinosaurs he constructs, and one wonders why he settles for the creature that he did. There's not enough outrageousness to make the final revelation of the creature truly astonishing. As it is, the concept the author wants to convey works, but the story's ending packs no punch. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (April 20, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395615828
• ISBN-13: 978-0395615829
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,035,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars little boy heaven, February 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Big Old Bones: A Dinosaur Tale (Paperback)

Great illustrations of a family working on an archeological dig. Funny story at the end about the problems associated with catagorizing bones. My 4-year old loved how huge the bones looked compared with the people, and the little boy always present helping his Dad.