Dinosaurs (and People) at the Museum!

 Every now and then I get some picture books that I know will appeal to older kids – the six-to-nine-year olds who still love picture books but revel in something with more depth. Here are two that might go together…

themes: dinosaurs, museums, science

Brontosaurus Is Back!: A Dinosaur's Name and Return to Fame

by Sarah Albee; illus. by Chris Hsu 

40 pages; ages 6-9

Charlesbridge, 2026

Before we even get to the first line of the story, we know something big is coming. STOMP! “Do you hear that?” asks a bird, who then announces (at the title page) that the awesome Apatosaurus is coming. But, on the first spread we learn…

Behold! It’s … Brontposaurus! “Wait!” says Bird. “Mistake! This is Apatosaurus. We’re not supposed to call it Brontosaurus.”

And who, at this point, would NOT turn the page to find out why?  Such a great lead-in to a tale of bones and skullduggery and the famous fossil rivalry between Marsh and CopeBack in their day, there was such a rush to discover – and name – dinosaur fossils that sometimes the science got … sloppy! 

What I like about this book: I like the humor Sarah Albee brings to her books, and this one is no different. It’s fun to read, a bit sassy in places, and shows how our understanding of paleontology has evolved over time – and how scientists continue to seek answers. I also like the fact boxes – they come with fun headings such as “Dig This!” and “Talk Like a Scientist.” Plus, Bird shows up in every spread lending his own point of view to the discussion. Brontosaurus fans (of which I am one) will appreciate the extensive timeline at the back as well as discussion about how we know what we know about apatosaurus and brontosaurus… and how scientists shifted their thinking as they accumulated more data.

Since the dinos we see are fossils at the museum, I thought this book would be a good companion.

What Do People Do at the Science Museum?

by Maggie Tokuda-Hall; illus. by Qin Leng

48 pages; ages 5-8

Chronicle Books, 2026

Welcome to the Science and Natural History Museum! It’s a good place for curious people to ask questions and learn.

Not only will we see all kinds of things in there, but we’ll meet all kinds of people who work in STEM fields… starting with a structural engineer who made sure the building was safe to be in. In this book readers learn what museum educators and geologists and paleontologists do – pretty important folks if you love dinosaurs and fossils! They’ll meet collections managers and preparers – the folks who clean the dino bones and help arrange the skeletons. One of the jobs that you rarely think about is that of the conservator – the folks who keep the specimens in good shape. There are even museum artists!

What I like about this book: Each spread highlights different scientists or other kind of museum specialist. Sidebars provide further information and details about what they do, sometimes in a humorous fashion. For example, “Herpetologists ssssspecialize in ssssnakes….” The last spread encourages kids to get involved in community science projects because “… [they] can do science all the time” – not just at school or in a museum.

Beyond the Books:

Visit some dinosaurs at a natural history museum. Draw a picture of your favorite one. How tall is it? How long? How is the skeleton supported? 

Look at the signs for your dinosaur. What information is on the signs? Did you learn something new about your dinosaur by visiting the museum?

When you’re at a natural history museum, visit one of the dioramas. Take some time to study the details: what does the painted landscape look like? What sort of trees and animals are in the diorama? Are there human artifacts? Why do you think the artist designed the display this way?

Read about the brontosaurus debate at the Natural History Museum website

Sarah Albee is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her books at her website sarahalbeebooks.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM books at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading.  Review copies provided by the publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ a leaf's view of the world

 Sometimes it's good to look at the world from another perspective. Would a bird see things the same way we do? What about a chipmunk? What about a leaf? 

 

What does your world look like when you look at it from ground level?

 

Trees as Memorials and Habitats

I live in a region of the country that is blessed with trees (and the water to nurture them). Trees provide food and shelter to wildlife, even in the city, and are long-lived so they are often planted as memorials. So today I’m sharing two books that highlight trees in those roles.

themes: trees, nonfiction, memorial, animals

150,000 Trees: Growing a Memorial for 9/11's Flight 93
by Rebecca Hirsch; illus. by Jacqueline Tam
40 pages; ages 7-10
Tilbury House Publishers, 2026

Many years ago, in the quiet hills of Pennsylvania, a field of grasses whispered shh-hh-hhh to the bright September sky.

As a tiny speck of a plane appears in the distance, Rebecca Hirsch introduces us to the field – one that had long ago been a forest. Once coal was discovered, the land was dug and mined and no more trees grew. Meanwhile the plane is getting closer, and closer until it crashes into that whispering field.

What I like about this book: I like how Rebecca introduces the field as a character, along with the families of passengers and crew killed in the crash of flight 93 on September 11. She shows how, in the following years, people wanted to create a memorial to their loved ones in an act of healing, and also do something to help heal the land, too. I also like the language where she shows how people decided to plant trees and continues over the years until “… tree by tree, person by person, the forest grew.” Back matter provides more information about United Airlines Flight 93 and 9/11 along with a map of the memorial wall and groves, and a personal note from Rebecca.

Congratulations to Rebecca for her book being selected as a Gold Award winner for California Reading Association’s Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award this year. 

We Live in Trees! Amazing Animal Adaptations
by Heather Alexander 
32 pages; ages 4-9
Millbrook Press, 2026

What can live in a tree? Not just anything! 

Some animals just don’t have what it takes to live in a tree. Take dolphins, for example. Or pigs, or elephants! From tails to toes, this book explores the adaptations that allow arboreal animals to be … arboreal. 

What I like about this book: I love that Heather Alexander introduces the word “arboreal” on the first spread. And I like the diversity of animals, from kinkajous to red pandas to tree frogs. We see adaptations that allow climbing up and gliding down, adaptations that provide balance, and some that help an animal blend in to the tree environment. 

I like the fun titles of fact boxes found on every spread: Tail End Fact, Swoosh Fact, and for chameleon, Foot Fact. I also like how, at the end, Heather invites kids to share what they know about animals living in trees and some of their adaptations. Back matter includes suggestions on how kids can help protect tree habitats, a map of the treetop habitats found around the world, and a glossary (with pronunciation guide) for all the cool science words in the book.

Beyond the Books:

Go on a tree walk around your neighborhood or a local park. What kinds of trees do you see? Borrow a field guide from your library that shows trees in your region and learn more about them.

Are there any memorial trees planted around your school or parks? Sometimes they have plaques next to them. Find out more about why they were planted, and why those trees were chosen. You can learn more about the 9/11 memorial trees on this page at the Flight 93 National Memorial.

If you were going to live in a tree, what sort of adaptations would you need? Think about how you would get up, find food, sleep ….

Check out this interview with Heather Alexander at the Lerner Books Blog.

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copies provided by the publisher.