The Dinosaur Expert by Margaret McNamara, G. Brian Karas
Published by Schwartz & Wade on July 17th 2018
ISBN: 0553511432
Pages: 40
Goodreads

Dinosaurs, girl power, and science combine in the newest addition to the Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom series.

Mr. Tiffin and his students are back in another picture book, and this time the focus is on dinosaur-loving Kimmy. During a field trip to the natural history museum, Kimmy is thrilled to share what she knows about the Stegosaurus and the Archaeopteryx and even the ginormous Titanosaurus. That changes when one of her classmates questions whether girls can be paleontologists. Kimmy starts to feel shy. What if they can’t? What if no one wants to hear what she has to say? It will take some help from Mr. Tiffin–and from a famous scientist–for Kimmy to find her voice again.

Join Mr. Tiffin’s class as they learn about dinosaurs big and small, feathered and scaly, winged and ocean-dwelling. And root for Kimmy, the dinosaur expert . . . who might just learn something about herself.

Readers who have visited Mr. Tiffin’s classroom in Margaret McNamara’s other books: How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin, The Apple Orchard, and A Poem in Your Pocket, will join the class as they go to the Museum of Natural History on a fact finding mission about dinosaurs. Kimmy is passionate about these creatures and begins to share all sorts of facts with her class until a fellow student tells her that girls can’t be scientists! To prove his point, her shows her the names of the paleontologists credited for the discoveries they are looking at – all men! Kimmy  is brought to silence until Mr. Tiffin shows her a special exhibit.

McNamara’s strength in this picture book as in her others, is dispensing information on a chosen subject in a manner that the reader can understand and through Mr. Tiffin guides each reader to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses all the while being encouraged to be the best they can be.

Brian Karas, with his signature illustrations, brings Mr. Tiffin’s class to life. This selection can be used with STEAM curriculum for dinosaurs units and famous women scientists as there is an omage to women paleontologists in the book. It is also a book to be used in dealing with the feelings and struggles children deal with in a school situation.

A picture book for grades K-3  rating:5

submitted by :
Kathy George
Gray Public Library