Tracey Fern

MORE REVIEWS!

I'm very pleased that BARNUM'S BONES received a lovely review from The Horn Book.  Here's the full review:


At and around the turn of the last century, an eccentric dinosaur hunter dedicated himself to the discovery of a new species, and amassed along the way a peerless collection of fossilized skeletons for the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Barnum Brown develops his zeal for bone hunting early, following behind his father’s plow to gather unearthed fossils. He trains as a paleontologist and travels the American West, digging for a new discovery, often dressed to the nines in fur coat and bowler hat. Years of hunting produce a partial skeleton of an unknown carnivorous giant, and years more completed it: at last Tyrannosaurus rex is discovered. Fern’s colorful narrative fairly bubbles with Barnum’s irrepressible fervor as he battles everything from mosquitoes to Andrew Carnegie to establish his legacy. Kulikov’s bright, saturated paintings with unusual perspectives and evocative use of light and shadow bring the landscapes of the cultured city and Wild West to vivid life. Clever illustrative details—imagined dinosaur silhouettes, capricious dinosaur expressions, abundant bits of torn maps—add a level of fun all their own, reflecting Barnum’s indefatigable enthusiasm. An author’s note and selected bibliography round out this informative, inspirational story of one man’s curious, undeniable passion. thom barthelmess