THE FOSSIL WHISPERER

The story of a real-life fossil hunter.

Growing up, Wendy Sloboda had an unusually keen eye for spotting things in the natural world. On a class field trip to the badlands, near her hometown of Alberta, Canada, the 12-year-old found a piece of fossilized coral and learned from her teacher that this now arid area was once an underwater sea. Wendy continued to explore, and when she was 17, she discovered a fossilized dinosaur eggshell, which prompted a full-blown paleontological excavation. Since becoming a paleontology technician, Wendy has traveled the world and discovered thousands of dinosaur fossils, including a new species—named after her—the Wendiceratops. The book’s colorful illustrations both enliven the narrative and, through their simplicity, feel completely accessible to young readers. A notable design feature is a double-page foldout that takes readers from the present-day desertlike area of the Alberta badlands to (when the pages are unfolded) the same area 80 million years ago. Another foldout opens an illustration of a fossilized dinosaur egg to show the embryo contained within. Wendy is light-skinned; secondary illustrated characters vary in terms of skin tone and ability; one character wears a hijab. Copious backmatter includes more information about Wendy, fossil formation, how to find fossils, and more. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An entertaining account of a remarkable fossil hunter and an educational journey into the world of dinosaur fossils.