Rock Explorer: Fossils

Description

Fossils are the remains of animals and plants that lived thousands or millions of years ago - so they're the best way for us to understand how we, and other species, have evolved over time. This book introduces young readers to the importance of palaeontology and shows the beliefs and myths that have advanced - and inhibited - our understanding of evolution. It's full of facts and photos of real-life excavations from all over the world. It gives advice on where to find fossils and how to treat ancient remains with care. There are brilliant, fun snippets, like the fact that people thought the coelacanth fish had been extinct for 66 million years - then, in 1938, living coelacanths were discovered off the coast of Africa! For thousands of years, people found dinosaur fossils but did not know what they were. The ancient Chinese thought they were dragon bones.

Claudia Martin is the author of many children's books and has worked in publishing for over 20 years. Her favourite subjects include geography, history, animals and technology. Recent books published are titles in the My Little Book of... series, History Detectives: London, Makerspace Survival and Robot Pioneers.

Fossils are the remains of animals and plants that lived thousands or millions of years ago and what makes them especially fascinating is the fact that we may all have the chance to find them. And this book shows where to find them, if we do, how to treat them with care. It is a complex subject, introduced here in a clear way that children will find accessible; the information is basic but plenty for lower KS2 children and it will encourage further research. The photographs are excellent and good text accompanies them; fact are shown in fact boxes that are distinct and easy to use. There is also a useful index. -- Parents in Touch * Parents in Touch * Despite being targeted at a younger audience, I feel all children would appreciate these books as it would allow older children to conduct independent research and information retrieval...The text is presented clearly and is easy to read, with clear sub headings allowing the reader to find specific information. The photos used are of high quality and use landscapes from around the world, allowing the children to understand where the rocks could be found. -- The Reading Zone * The Reading Zone *