The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins: An Illuminating History of Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins, Artist and Lecturer (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Brian Selznick (Illustrator) "HORSE-DRAWN carriages clattered down the streets of London in 1853..." (more)
Key Phrases: Crystal Palace, Central Park, New York City

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Can you fathom a time when almost no one in the world knew what a dinosaur looked like?" Barbara Kerley and Brian Selznick can--and it was a time when people used words like "fathom" a lot, about 150 years ago. This author-illustrator team became experts on the subject, delving deeply into the life of Victorian artist Waterhouse Hawkins, the first person to ever summon up, sketch, mold, and fabricate these ancient giants into full-size models.

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, presented in breathlessly earnest chapbook style ("A True Dinosaur Story in Three Ages"), follows the life of Hawkins from his early fossil studies to the first iguanodon that he extrapolates into existence for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The story then follows his subsequent victories and defeats at home and abroad: a triumphantly unorthodox New Year's Eve dinner party with the fathers of paleontology; the unveiling of Dinosaur Island; Boss Tweed's scuttling of a planned Paleozoic Museum in Central Park, and the destruction of years of Hawkins's work in the process.

And the story is all true, although this veracity does make the pacing a bit clunky in spots. Then again, Kerley and Selznick have researched their hero with meticulous care (check out the copious endnotes), so perhaps only Hawkins himself can be blamed for leading a life that didn't always progress in perfect dramatic form. Overshadowing the narrative, though, are Selznick's stately, ghostly illustrations--of towering megalosaurs and Hawkins shuffling about with cane and top hat--which more than make up the difference. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

From Publishers Weekly

One look at this amazing-but-true picture book introducing the little-known artist Hawkins and his dreams of dinosaurs, and kids may well forget about Jurassic Park. As a child growing up in 19th-century London, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins discovered his passion: drawing and sculpting animal figures, especially prehistoric dinosaurs. His artistic talent and his goal--to build life-size models of dinosaurs envisioned from scientific fossils--led him to work with noted anatomist Richard Owen and complete a special commission from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, an installation of dinosaur statues, much of which still stands in contemporary Sydenham, England. During the project, Hawkins courted the scientific community by hosting a lavish New Year's Eve dinner party inside his life-size model of an iguanodon (the bill of fare is reproduced on the final page). Selznick (The Houdini Box, see p. 94) builds to the dramatic moment by showing readers a peek at giant reptilian toes through a parted curtain. Kerley (Songs of Papa's Island) leads readers into further exploration of Hawkins by presenting copious but never dull details of the stages of his life and works, including efforts in the U.S., thwarted by Boss Tweed. Throughout, she suffuses her text with a contagious sense of wonder and amazement. Selznick enthusiastically joins the excitement with his intricate compositions, capturing Hawkins's devotion to his art and depicting the dapper man with wild white hair as a spirited visionary and showman. The elegant design on tall pages gives the dinosaur models their due from various perspectives, and scenery of the period additionally grounds the work in historic context. Extensive author and illustrator notes denote the extensive (and fun) research both undertook for this extraordinary volume. Ages 6-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439114942
• ISBN-13: 978-0439114943
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #185,103 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dinosaur Delight and Much, Much More....., January 7, 2002

By	Roz Levine (Virginia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

"Can you fathom a time when almost no one in the world knew what a dinosaur looked like?" Well, back in the mid-eighteen hundreds, that was just the case. Archeologists and paleontologists had found dinosaur fossils and bits and pieces of their skeletons, but no one had actually drawn or created a model of what one might have really looked like. Enter Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. He had always had a passion for drawing and sculpting animals, and now as an adult, realized his dream project, commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, of building life sized dinosaur statues for all the world to see..... Take a little biography and science, add some mystery, history, humor and suspense, and you have the makings of one intriguing and captivating story. Barbara Kerley and Brian Selznick take us from England to America and back with this thrilling and unique story about this special man of vision. Ms Kerley's detailed text is exciting, thoughtful, and inspiring, and beautifully complemented by Mr Selznick's dazzling and intricate illustrations. Together word and art create a vivid and lasting picture of a man who followed his dream through both triumph and disaster. Fascinating end notes are as entertaining as the story, enhance and augment learning and should open the door to interesting lessons and discussions. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, The Dinosaurs Of Waterhouse Hawkins is a treasure to be savored and enjoyed each and every time it's read.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everybody do the dinosaur, February 13, 2005

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Occasionally, from time to time, I like to trick little children. And as a children's librarian in a public library, I have plenty of time and opportunity to do so. So when I'm in the right mood and I feel particularly devilish, I mosey on over to the biography section of the library and ever-so-casually pull out "The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins". After determining that no one has seen me, I then amble over to the picture book area and prominently display the book. The bait now laid, I go back to my desk and wait in anticipation. It doesn't take long. Soon the attractive cover of the book (showing a man holding a dinosaur model with a gigantic dinosaur head looming behind him) catches the eye of some wayward traipsing tot. The child will look at it, squeal gleefully, and pluck the item from the shelf without so much as a howdy-doo. My job complete, I sit back and soak in just how clever I am. You see, the kid doesn't know it yet, but I've tricked `em. They thought they were finding just another of the thousands of millions of dinosaur books out there WHEN IN FACT this book is different. It is a highly educational biography of the man who helped bring dinosaurs to the forefront of the human imagination. The book may well be many a child's first biography for this very reason. So while they think they're getting another dino book, they are in fact getting an entirely different critter altogether. It's an incredibly satisfying feeling to get a child to read something quite as good and original as this particular book. I do not regret my actions in the least.

Author Barbara Kerley explains in her afterword where she got the gumption to write about Waterhouse Hawkins in the first place. She was flipping through a book of dinosaurs one day when she came across a most peculiar picture. In it sat a group of refined late 1800s gentlemen having a formal dinner. In the belly of a dinosaur. Further research yielded a name and a fascinating story. Waterhouse Hawkins was born in London in 1807. He grew up with an interest in animalia, but with the discovery of dinosaur bones he quickly shifted his interests. As an artist, Hawkins worked diligently to create true to life full-sized dinosaur models. Though we today look at them with a critical eye (they had some real innate flaws to them) at the time they were considered the cutting edge of scientific vision. Hawkins grew in prominence (in no small part due to the aforementioned let's-eat-dinner-in-a-dinosaur idea) and even created a group of them for the grand opening of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham Park. Unfortunately, once Hawkins moved to America he was bound to come into contact with that nefarious New York politican, the corruptous of the corrupt, "Boss" Tweed. Though Hawkins had been given funding to construct a museum of dinosaurs in Central Park, Tweed diverted funds and (adding injury to insult) probably hired a group of goons to destroy Hawkins' models. But did our intrepid expatriate give in even then? No, sir! He went on to create the development of life on Earth at Princeton and made dinosaurs for the Smithsonian. By the time he died he'd lived a rich and wonderful life.

Barbara Kerley backs up all her interesting Hawkins info with a remarkable Author's Note section at the end of the book encompassing the models, the artist, Tweed, the Crystal Palace, as well as illustrator Brian Selznick's works. And the text is remarkably interesting. In fact, it closes by pointing out that because Boss Tweed's goons buried many of Hawkins' models, they may still be located somewhere deep beneath Central Park to this day. Brian Selznick is just as laudable an artist in this venture though. First of all, the book is presented as a kind of 1800s document. The title page is part announcement to a theatrical presentation part scholarly text. At the end of the book we can see the original menu feasted upon by Hawkins and his scientific cronies in the belly of one of his models. The book is perhaps most remarkable because of its dark moments. And it is here that Selznick really shines. Our encounter with Boss Tweed shows a gray formal portrait of the man with watery malicious eyes. After the destruction of his creations there's a remarkable two-page spread of Hawkins holding his head in sorrow in the midst of complete and utter destruction. The next pages show a rainy windswept Central Park with a single black figure making his way across the expanse. Heck! There's even a section at the back of the book showing how Hawkins once drew his dinos and how we know they look today.

The most difficult task of any biographical picture book is make the subject both interesting and factual. Kerley and Selznick have done this with aplomb. And unlike some life stories transferred to a mere 48 pages or so, this book has a distinctive rise and fall to the action. All in all it's a remarkable story in an attractive package that any small child could instantly take to. One of the best picture book biographies I have ever had the delight to read. A must-have for any dino-addled child.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Match of Illustrations to Text, October 23, 2001

By	Rob (New York) - See all my reviews

What is most amazing about this delightful true tale is the skillful way that Brian Selznick has captured the excitiment of the story in his remarkable illustrations. This book will surely be mentioned when Caldecott time rolls around. We especially like the rich colors and the incredible scene of Waterhouse's dinner party in the dinosaur. The story is quirky and funny. Kids love it, and adults find it a fascinating anecdote to history.