The Fossil Whisperer

by Helaine Becker, Sandra Dumais

Description A captivating look at the life of a modern-day fossil hunter who makes the find of a lifetime. Wendy has an eye for the unusual and is skilled at finding things that others don't see. On a middle school field trip, she spots one of those unusual things - it's fossilised coral 100 million years old! Wendy's thrilled! And soon, she gets hooked on hunting fossils. She decides to turn her passion into her career and becomes known as the "fossil whisperer" around the world. But it's close to home where she makes her most amazing find: Wendiceratops! Make no bones about it, a dinosaur species named after you is way cool! Kids will be wondering: what might be buried where I live? A captivating look at the life of a modern-day fossil hunter who makes the find of a lifetime told by award-winning author Helaine Becker. Wendy has an eye for the unusual and is skilled at finding things that others don't see. While on a school field trip at age 12, she spots one of those unusual things poking out of the ground, and it turns out to be a piece of fossilised coral that's 100 million years old. Wendy's thrilled! And soon, she gets hooked on finding fossils. When she grows up, Wendy turns her passion into her career and becomes a preeminent fossil hunter, known as the "fossil whisperer" around the world. But it's on a dig close to home where Wendy makes her most important discovery: Wendiceratops!Bestselling author Helaine Becker brings to fascinating life the remarkable true story of Wendy Sloboda and her discovery of Wendiceratops, a dinosaur species that proved to be a missing link in the story of horned dinosaurs' evolution. Becker's narrative is full of energy, allowing Wendy's intelligence, independence and unconventional spirit to shine through. Sandra Dumais's illustrations keep the visual appeal high, cleverly presenting the modern-day story with loads of details while giving readers a feel for the past when dinosaurs roamed the land, including two intriguing gatefolds that reveal further secrets. This readable biography of a unique female role model in the male-dominated field of paleontology has strong STEM connections in life science and paleontology and applications in Earth history. It includes a biographical note, more information about Wendiceratops and fossil hunting, a timeline, a glossary and further reading. AGES: 4 to 8 AUTHOR: Helaine Becker is a bestselling children's author of more than ninety books, including Hubots, Monster Science, Zoobots, The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea and Lines, Bars and Circles. She is a two-time recipient of the Lane Anderson Award and a winner of the Silver Birch Award and the Red Cedar Award. She lives in Toronto, Ontario. Sandra Dumais is a children's book illustrator and owner of an online retail shop that sells prints and housewares. The picture books that she has collaborated on have received top honors from the Booksellers' Association of Quebec. Sandra lives with her family in Montreal, Quebec.