Tracey Fern

Beautiful illustrations/images accompany this well-written book meant for both the young and older. Many living today have/had the opportunity of seeing the actual, and incredible artifacts that Howard Carter found in 1915 in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings.
This is the story of seeking and finding the hoped for treasures that Englishman, Carter, who since a child dreamed of finding a trove of beautiful, anything Egyptian, but specifically he wanted a mummy.

Obsessessed with possessing, cantankeous Howard Carter was hired at 17 to work with the Egypt Exploration Fund, and was sent to Egypt to learn archaelology and excavation. Quite a silly, but nasty man, he was not liked. Digging and searching for years, finally to his amazment he came upon the most beautiful and famous mummy of all.

To dig and dig in the hot sun, while wearing a neat suit, Carter never gave up. I can only imagine the feelings he experienced when actually, truly, finding this stellar group of incredible objects.

This book is dedicated not only to the man, but also to the actual find as by hard work, and a lot of luck, first steps were discovered. Twelve in all led downward, downward under the ground. As the book notes, Carter uncovered a top portion of a doorway, not knowing what was behind, he opened the royal seal that held the door closed.

Howard meticulously drew maps of all his archeological work. He drew the area, the steps, and seal and a corner of a door that ws broken and repaired. The tomb was found before Howard Carter as noted by the seal. But, when opened it appeared intact. The mummy was incredibly beautiful and laden and carved with gold.

This remains one of the most special and incredible find to date.… (más)

This is an incredible book regarding the man who found a huge collection of dinosaur bones, which were then moved and located at the Natural History Museum in New York City. Named after Barnum, renowned circus man, Barnum Brown was believed to smell the bones in the ground. Truly, he couldn't do this, but he did have a unique ability to find large collections of intact dinosaurs.

He was an unusual child, with an unusual name, and had very unusual habits. He wore a suit while digging bones in the hot sun. From a young age, he collected fossils and rocks. His bedroom contained piles of these in every nook and cranny. As an adult, he became an employee of the NHM and it was om 1902 that Barnum found a large bone sticking out of the ground in the badlands of Montana. Digging more and more, carrying the bones on the back of horses for miles and miles, he found the very first Tyrannosaurus Rex. This was, of course, a major find for the Natural History Museum.

If you live near NYC, as I do, it is a mere hour and 1/2 away and the bus station is right up the road with trips to and from every day, visiting this museum is a must. And, even if you have to travel from far and wide, you will never be disappointed. And now that I know the background facts of many of their treasures, I will forever think of Barnum Brown when I revisit.

This book is a must read for all little children who are enthralled by dinosaurs -- and a must read for adults who covet their history as well!… (más)