How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum is a fun book for all grade levels that teaches about the process in which the diplodocus bones got to the Smithsonian. I love this book because it is told in the format of a history museum tour and then dives deep into the story the tour guide gives. A neat aspect of this book is the science related vocabulary is fun and colorful inside the text. The text also uses repeating like in the Little Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly which is amazing for younger students. While, this book was written with younger students in mind it doesn't shy away from the harder words and topics. I would honestly use this for any elementary grade but can definitely see myself reading it to my first graders very soon. Easy 5/5 stars because the narrative is fun and engaging while providing actual scientific facts. Also students love dinosaurs so how fun would it be to do a dinosaur dig of your own in the classroom after reading this book then having students put the bones together like in the museum. ( )

Description:
This book follows the process of how a once living dinosaur becomes a fossil. It describes the different roles that humans take in between the discovery and the display of a fossil at the Smithsonian, such as the dinosaur hunter, the excavator, and the paleontologist. The end of the book contains a two pages that provide ore information on dinosaurs, including facts on the Diplodocus, fossils, and the scientists responsible for its discovery.

Personal reaction:
I enjoy how this book has a rhythmic pattern that resembles a fictional story. It's a great way to engage children in reading informational text. I also like that it is written as a story since it helps the reader comprehend the process of how a dinosaur becomes a fossil.

Keywords/science topics:
dinosaurs, paleontologists, fossils, museums

A couple of uses:
- The different roles in this book, such as paleontologist, excavator, and curator are written in bold. I could use this as an example as an informational text feature to show my students how key words in an informational text are often in bold.
- Since this book is somewhat story-like, I feel like it would be a good book to read aloud at the beginning of a lesson on fossils. You could even create a blank flow chart with a word bank that students would have to place in correct order according to the process outlined in the book. ( )

Overall: This book shows the process of how a dinosaur lives, dies, becomes a fossil, and then makes its way to a museum! I really like how this book is informational, yet it sounds and reads like a story. Each time a new person is introduced who is involved in the process, the previous people and their job descriptions are repeated in a poetic-like fashion. It not only creates author craft, but helps summarize the information.

Possible science topics:
-dinosaurs
-scientists (paleontologist)

Strategies/uses:
-We could discuss the purpose of repeating information about each person/job description.
-Each person (curator, paleontologist, excavator etc...) is bolded and written in a different font/color. Most informational books just bold important words, so we could discuss the purpose of the author bolding important words differently.

Informational text features:
-Bolded words
-Additional information

Describes the journey that dinosaur bones make from discovery to museum showpiece, and all the workers involved in the process such as paleontologist, preparator, curator, and rigger. Lively and accessible for young children who will pick up lots of info and new vocabulary. Share this before a museum visit to see the dinosaurs. ( )

This book is a really great way to show kids the evolution of life. It talks about the dinosaur, how it lived, how it died, how it was discovered millions of years later, and finally, how it ended up in the museum. It is a good book to show kids the process of science, and how exhibits come to be. I think in the classroom, after reading it, I would have the kids come up with something that is alive today that they would like to see in a museum in the future. I would also have the kids be archaeologists, and have them dig up gummy worm or bears and see if they can identify the parts of the animals. ( )