Daniel's Dinosaurs: A True Story of Discovery [Hardcover]

Charles Helm (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up

Eight-year-old Daniel and 11-year-old Mark never expected a day spent inner-tubing at Flatbed Creek to turn into one of the most exciting dinosaur finds in the past 20 years. But that's exactly what happened when they stumbled upon impressions in the creek's shore that looked a lot like dinosaur footprints. After a local paleontologist confirmed the boys' discovery, footprint expert Rich McCrea and world-renowned paleontologist Philip Currie arrived, anxious to examine the prints. Daniel's Dinosaurs follows Daniel's real-life adventure story, from working beside the scientists as they survey and measure the trackway to helping uncover even more significant finds, including an entire dinosaur bone bed.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3 - Every Roy Chapman Andrews or Mary Anning wannabe has daydreamed of making an extraordinary fossil find that will grab the attention of a famous paleontologist, and maybe even earn a headline or two. This slim photo-essay describes how it all came true for Daniel Helm (then eight), starting with the day he and his friend Mark spotted a dinosaur trackway in the rocks bordering Flatbed Creek, near their homes in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. One discovery led to another, and eventually to visits by Rich McCrea, a dinosaur footprint expert, and Philip Currie, Curator of Dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. All of this resulted in a serious dig in the summer of 2003, and more excavations will follow. Despite some static, awkwardly posed photos and a somewhat stilted text (written by Daniel's father), this book will be welcomed with "Wows!" by the Coulda-Shoulda-Been-Me set, who will immediately embark on a determined campaign of serious wheedling to attend the Dino Camps now held in this remote region. Colorful illustrations depict the dinosaurs that once roamed the area. Not an essential purchase, but a real shot in the arm for dino-daydreamers. - Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

…an excellent example of what great nonfiction is available. This is the real stuff for dinosaur aficionados and is very accessible reading for kids. (Brandon Sun )

Readers will enjoy following the two boys on their true-life adventure… (Canadian Bookseller )

…a wonderful story…Daniel's Dinosaurs reminds readers that there is always something to discover in the world around us. (Canadian Children’s Book News )

Helm has done a remarkable job in bringing this exciting tale to a deservedly larger audience than that provided by the newsprint and television media of British Columbia. Highly Recommended. (CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Maple Tree Press (August 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1897066066
• ISBN-13: 978-1897066065
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,443,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for 8, December 19, 2005

By 

Dan Matte - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daniel's Dinosaurs: A True Story of Discovery (Hardcover)

This is a neat story of how a young boy named Daniel and his friend Mark made a very significant dinosaur footprint and fossil discovery in British Columbia.

The best part about the story was the great discussion it spawned with my 8 year old about dinosaurs, the characters and my child's desire to explore his surroundings.