Stone Girl, Bone Girl [Hardcover]

Laurence Anholt (Author), Sheila Moxley (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999 | Age Level: 5 and up

A brief biography of the English girl whose discovery of an Ichthyosaurus skeleton in 1811 when she was twelve led to a life-long interest in fossils and other important discoveries.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Anholt's cumbersome and text-laden story centers on the early years of Mary Anning, born in 1799 and known in her native England for her discovery of ancient fossils. From the moment that her beloved father, nicknamed "Pepper" for his "speckled beard," extracts a "snakestone" (a fossil of a snake) from the clay cliffs near their seaside home, Mary spends her days searching alone for similar "curiosities," while peers taunt her with the titular nickname. Soon after her father dies, Mary discovers a dog (with a coat like "speckled pepper") near his grave. Encouraged by the Philpot sisters, local scientists, the mournful girl continues to collect fossils and searches for the giant sea monster's bones, which, legend has it, lay hidden in the cliffs. Her devoted pet leads his young mistress to the skeleton of this ichthyosaur, then vanishes. As with the death of Mary's father, the text glosses over the dog's disappearance, but readers will likely see it as a shadow cast over the discovery and marking another significant loss in young Mary's life. Moxley's (Skip Across the Ocean) vividly hued, primitivist artwork features some creatively skewed perspectives as well as several potentially disturbing images: a farmhouse teeters on the edge of eroding cliffs, while nearby are half-submerged cows and a person apparently gesturing in distress. Anholt convincingly lays the groundwork for Anning to go on to become a noted scientist and local hero, but youngsters will likely find this account of her childhood sad rather than celebratory. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-Mary Anning, born in England in 1799, made an astounding discovery at the age of 12 when she unearthed the first full skeleton of an ichthyosaur in the cliffs above her home in Lyme Regis. Anholt begins his picture-book biography with a dramatic episode in which baby Mary is said to have been struck by lightning. The well-shaped, fictionalized account creates a cozy view of her relationship with her father, who taught her to recognize the many forms of fossils in the crumbly Dorset cliffs before his death when she was perhaps 10 or 11. A mysterious, small dog Mary finds in the cemetery becomes the agent in finding the enormous fossil. Two wealthy women, allegedly scientists, tutor Mary as she develops a small business selling fossils as curiosities to tourists. Pleasing folk-art views spread across the pages in luscious blues and greens, magenta, and pumpkin, following the plucky child's odyssey that led to her lifelong contribution to paleontology. Children will be attracted by the jacket view of dinosaurs climbing the path through the cliffs below Mary. Picture bands bordering one side or the other of most pages handsomely unify each spread. The substantial text reads aloud well. The author provides a short closing note on Anning's place in science and also claims that she is the inspiration of the traditional rhyme "she sells seashells by the seashore." No attributions of factual material are provided.
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531301486
• ISBN-13: 978-0531301487
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #974,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Fossils

More About the Author

Laurence Anholt is the author and illustrator of several childrenÂ’ books about famous artists, all available in North America from BarronÂ’s. They include Degas and the Little Dancer, Leonardo and the Flying Boy, The Magical Garden of Claude Monet, and van Gogh and the Sunflowers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most moving children's book I've read in ten years, July 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Stone Girl, Bone Girl (Hardcover)

I can't remember a more beautifully written children's book since my children were born. The way the story was told was so simple and yet so powerful, I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone with children. I read it to my 3 and 5 year old girls and they ask for it every night. Simply beautiful.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!, June 18, 2000

By 

Frank Murphy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stone Girl, Bone Girl (Hardcover)

There are a few picture books out about Mary Anning! All of them are good, but this is THE ONE to read to younger kids! The illustrations are vibrant and colorful. The story is punchy and fun! Kids will be amazed by the story of a young girl who gets struck by lightning as an infant, survives, and as a child finds the fossil of one of the world's largest dinosaurs! It's all true! There's even a dog companion! Buy it and read it to your kids, they won't soon forget it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My two girls, 5 and 3, just loved this book., January 8, 2008

By 

Jilly ILLY "Jill" (SI, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stone Girl Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning (Paperback)

They were captivated from the very opening when Mary was the only survivor of a lightening strike. The fact that Mary made her first major discovery when she was only twelve demonstrates to children that it is possible for them to achieve great/important things. My girls were so interested in paleontology after reading this book that it has spurred them on to learning more about Mary Anning, fossils and evolution. They have since gone fossil hunting and were thrilled to be just like Stone Girl, Bone Girl!