GREAT DINOSAUR MISTAKES • New UK Picture Book
I have a new book out in paperback in the UK!
Great Dinosaur Mistakes is my third book co-written with palaeontologist Adam Smith, and the second book Adam and I have done with illustrator Stieven Van der Poorten. The book is published by Fox & Ink Books (formerly UCLan Publishing).
Great Dinosaur Mistakes explores some of the most extraordinary errors early palaeontologists made, and brings past and present versions of each prehistoric creature face to face in a fantastical time-travelling adventure full of fascinating facts.
While the books I write with Adam contain a lot of factual information, we like to present this information within an engaging and entertaining ‘framing device’. The framing device we’ve used for this book is an encounter between a modern palaeontologist and the Ghost of Palaeontology Past, inspired by Charles Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Past from his novel A Christmas Carol. To make it easy for the reader to tell which was the past and which was the present version of each creature, Stieven illustrated the past versions in black and white.
Here’s the spread in which the modern palaeontologist and the Ghost of Palaeontology Past observe past and present versions of Stegosaurus.
The past version of Stegosaurus is based upon the Illustration below by Auguste Jobin, first published in French popular science magazine Science et Nature in 1884. The information panel on the spread includes a drawing of Stegosaurus’ skeleton by US palaeontologist Othniel Marsh, published seven years later, by which time it was realised that the dinosaur walked on four legs, not two.
Here’s a trailer for the book:
Here’s an interview in which Adam and I talk to TQ Townsend of The Children’s Literature Podcast about the book.
And here’s a couple of quotes from early reviews of the book. Click on the reviewer name to read the full review.
“Whether readers are already enthusiastic about fossils or are just beginning their prehistoric adventures, this beautifully illustrated book offers an entertaining and educational look at some of the most famous scientific misconceptions in palaeontology.”
EVERYTHING DINOSAUR
“A brilliant way to demystify the scientific process behind dinosaur discoveries and teach little ones about the work of palaeontologists.”
MUM OF BOYS NORTHEAST
After posting about the book on social media last month, Instagram suggested I might like to follow the Incorrect Dinosaurs Instagram account, which is a treasure trove of hundreds of images of outdated palaeoart. The theme of the account was so close to the theme of the book that I messaged Alex Blumtritt, who runs the account, to tell him about the book and Alex has since shared some of Stieven’s illustrations with his followers.
You can download colouring sheets for the book by clicking on the images below.
You can find instructions on how to download and make a Great Dinosaur Mistakes card game featuring Stieven’s illustrations by clicking on the image below.
And you can order the book from your local bookshop or by using the sales links below.
