Mary Anning could be otherwise called the Mother of Paleontology. Her early discoveries helped scientists and scholars understand the age of the earth and that species could potentially go extinct. This book is engaging, my two and a half year old announced halfway through, "I love this book!". The illustrations are perfect for young readers and also do a fantastic job of highlighting Mary's accomplished life.

The book also includes a timeline and extra information for further learning for older youth readers. I highly recommend this book.

A fascinating story for readers of all ages. We loved reading along and guessing what each discovery might hold. The bone and fossil facts at the ending was educational and fun for the little ones. Children remained engaged in the story to the very end. Although a bit lengthy, the story was quite charming and the illustrations really colourful and fun. This book inspires little girls everywhere to dream the biggest dreams and never let anyone - especially male dominated career paths - to hold you back from your heart's desires. Keep on going, always! Some of the world's greatest discoveries have been made by women who were once little girls with big ambitions and dreams! Love this book! Thanks to #Netgally and the author for the e-ARC!

Dinosaur Lady by Linda Skeers (and illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns) introduces younger readers to Mary Anning, who discovered the first dinosaur back in the 1800s. Her finding on a local beach was originally thought to be a fake, since it was so bizarre!

Skeers' writing highlights Anning's tenacity, as her curiosity and drive to discover more about dinosaurs leads her to carve her own path. There's a teachable moment about the barriers women faced in getting into science here, as Anning is rejected from tertiary study and joining the Geological Society of London despite her expertise.

Miguéns style is a gorgeous accompaniment to Anning's story, layering gradients and textures in the beach backgrounds, and adding a flair to both Anning's character and the male scientists she constantly leaves baffled.

As you can see, I loved this book, learning more about the field of paleontology and discovering more about dinosaurs! Recommended for younger readers curious about nature, science, and of course dinosaurs themselves.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review - thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks.

This is a really interesting book! I had never heard of Mary Anning and am really glad that I now know about her and her achievements; what an amazing woman! My daughter loves dinosaurs and this is exactly the type of book I would give her to read since it is well written and illustrated, contains lots of facts about Anning and dinosaurs, and shows an influential woman in the field of science. Well done!

This well done early elementary biography on a little written about STEM role model, incorporates plenty of information for those reading for reports but presents it in a very readable and entertaining fashion. The illustrations add to the story by hearkening back to period ones but in a very inviting way, setting the scene in a friendly and appealing way. The subject is a giant in science and an excellent role model for all children. Readers will take away a valuable lesson in persistence and acceptance. Highly recommended!

I received an ARC through NetGalley from Sourcebooks Kids. My 5 year old who loves dinosaurs gave this book 5 stars. My whole family was enthralled by Mary’s Monsters and her discoveries. Imagine the first dinosaur bones being uncovered by a woman in 1811 before scientists even knew creatures could become extinct and before they knew dinosaurs had existed. This is an empowering and exciting picture book for kids. It is easy to read and captures the thrill of discovery. My son loved the timeline and facts at the end of the book that brought the whole story into perspective. It wasn’t until 2010 that Mary was recognized as an influential woman of science. Recommended for ages 4-8.

I received an electronic ARC from Sourcebook Kids through NetGalley.
Elementary level biography of Mary Anning. Skeers shares information about her life and discoveries. She addresses the lack of respect for women in science at that time as part of Anning's life story. She also includes fossil and dinosaur facts and a timeline of her life at the end of the book. The Author's Notes offers more information as well.
The illustrations captured Mary's energy and range of emotions. Readers can see her determination and perseverance to explore and support herself.
This is a book for mid-elementary level. It's a starting point biography to encourage further exploration.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book to my 4 year old and she really enjoyed it. The story was the perfect length for a preschool/lower elementary school read aloud and the illustrations were clear and followed the story line in a clear way- which I'm finding is very important for a budding reader! This is definitely a book I would recommend to others, especially those interested in paleontology and female scientists.

This is a lovely book that has very appealing illustrations.  The outdoor ones are in earth tones and show nature beautifully.


Readers will learn the story of a young girl who had curiosity in abundance.  Her discoveries led to the discovery of dinosaur bones and so much more.  Mary studied and learned for her whole life; she became an expert even though she was not allowed to study in the all male universities of the time.  Interestingly though male scholars came to her with their questions.


Mary's story is well told.  It is inspiring and I hope through this book will become better known.  The end of the book contains additional helpful resources.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

Did you know that the first paleontologist was a woman? I had no idea! But this book tells us the story of Mary Anning of Lyme Regis, England, who loves to be out and about exploring her world. One day, she accidentally stumbled upon a couple of bones and knew there had to be more out there. She patiently waited for Mother Nature to help her out and eventually discovered the first Ichthyosaurus skeleton. And from there, she made many more important discoveries. The book is subtle and yet to the point about how back in Mary's times, women were not allowed to be scientists or professors and how it was difficult at first for people to want to believe her. It also repeatedly emphasizes how she was a determined learner and kept right on studying and discovering, in another subtle, yet clear message to keep on exploring.

After her story is a bunch of fun facts about the history of dinosaur studies and a timeline of Mary's life. The Author's Note gives me my favorite bit of trivia, that the famous tongue twister "She sells seashells on the seashore..." is likely about Mary! I never knew that.

This book fascinated me because it is a bit of history I did not know. I don't know that kids will be as excited about the revelations as I was, but I think they're still going to really enjoy this book. I mean, dinosaurs are fascinating and the true stories are even better!

Thank you to the publisher for fulfilling my review request via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book hits so many things I love. Non-fiction story books, that are beautifully illustrated. Bringing awareness to a not as well known female innovator. The power of discovery and curiosity. All in all, winner.

It is difficult for me to review the book because on my Kindle, the preview copy's pages were laid out incorrectly. What I saw was well-written and inspiring. The writing was good, and the pictures were interesting and some showed minor details that enhanced the text. I would love to see a finished copy with pages in the correct order.

"The Dinosaur Lady" by Linda Skeers tells the story of Mary Anning and how she helped to lead the field of paleontology. The book serves as a simple guide for children to learn about what paleontology is and how fossils are discovered and preserved. The story follows the history of Mary Anning and talks about how she overcame obstacles to pursue her passion.

We read this book together as a family and everyone enjoyed it. The writing was simple but did include some vocabulary words that we needed to talk through with our elementary age kids. I liked that because it provided opportunities for more engagement. The illustrations of the Ichthyosaurus were great and my kids enjoyed pointing at the different bones. Readers, there's a bonus section at the back of the book filled with dinosaur and bone facts that shouldn't be missed. Enjoy!

I adored the illustrations and how this book was organized! I cannot wait to share it with readers... especially my niece who is new to reading and fascinated by all things real!

This appealingly illustrated picture book biography shares the story of Mary Anning and her fossil discoveries. It includes lots of interesting facts about dinosaurs, and surprised me with the detail that when she discovered her first fossils, the word 'dinosaur' did not even exist yet. I enjoyed learning more about her pioneering work, and appreciate that the book addresses the constraints that she experienced as a woman without making it look like these injustices defined her life. Even though men excluded her from scientific groups and the academy, she made the best of her situation, and I appreciate this book's portrayal of how innovative she was.

I love picture book biographies! Young female scientists biographies are so important for find for our girls. This book has cross-over possibilities for boy readers too. Can't wait to share it with my kids!

This is not the first time I've read a book about Mary Anning. I've read some that I was very impressed with. However, this book rises to the top insofar as it covers her accomplishments far more extensively. The illustrations are beautiful, and the text is simple and straightforward, the sort of book that I'd love to read to my students or encourage my students to read on their own. Great addition to the elementary biography section at school. I look forward to its publication.

This beautiful picture book tells the story of Mary Anning, a true leader among paleontologists and someone I’d never heard of. It’s wonderful that stories of women of science are finally being shared and one hopes these will encourage young girls to dream of being whoever they want.

I have to admit I’ve a special place in my heart for Mary Anning ever since I was first introduced to her during a visit to the Natural History Museum in London. A character actor was portraying her and, to my embarrassment, had to educate me about this remarkable woman.
The Dinosaur Woman give an accurate representation of Mary Anning’s life although an explanation of why she wasn’t allowed to study alongside male scientists would have been a nice clarification. And, as always, whenever I read a bio, I would always appreciate a map. The illustrations are beautifully rendered. A treasure for the eyes.

I love great biographies about women that we would have never otherwise known about. Dinosaur Lady helped me learn as a teacher and share those discoveries with students. This book was inspirational and reminded us to be persistent.
I appreciated the back matter about Mary herself and the dinosaur, paleontologist lingo.