Mr. Tiffin's class, who first appeared in author Margaret McNamara and illustrator G. Brian Karas' How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?, and then in The Apple Orchard Riddle and A Poem in Your Pocket, return in this fourth picture-book devoted to their academic adventures. In this installment of the series, the class heads to the Natural History Museum for a dinosaur-related field trip. Kimmy, an expert on all things dinosaur-related, can't wait to share her knowledge with her classmates. When Jake says girls can't be scientists however, she finds herself clamming up. Fortunately, Mr. Tiffin notices something is amiss, and manages to point her to a display about a woman paleontologist who discovered a new species of dinosaur, thereby restoring her confidence...

I have seen The Dinosaur Expert criticized for the fact that Jake, the pupil who makes the sexist remark about women not being scientists, is never called out directly in the narrative, nor chastised by Mr. Tiffin for his behavior. For my part, I actually really appreciated that aspect of the story. Although it might have been a good idea for Mr. Tiffin to pull Jake aside and speak to him, this was Kimmy's story, and that would have been a narrative distraction. This isn't a tale about a boy learning that girls can be scientists, although that clearly happens during the course of the story. This is the tale of a girl who loses confidence in herself temporarily, because of the thoughtless remarks of another, but who regains that confidence when shown a powerful example and role model, in the form of (real life) paleontologist, Dr. Zulma Brandoni de Gasparini. Zack clearly learns his lesson, through the subtler machinations of Mr. Tiffin, and by the end he is happily listening to the information that Kimmy has to share. What earthly purpose would publicly shaming a child have, other than to create hurt and resentment? Leaving that issue aside, I enjoyed this entry in the series about Mr. Tiffin's class. The narrative is engaging, involving the reader in Kimmy's emotional ups and downs, and the artwork is fun. Although it is the fourth book published about these characters, it is only the third I have read. I will have to try and track down the one I missed, The Apple Orchard Riddle. Recommended to young would-be paleontologists, and to anyone looking for books that address girls being scientifically inclined. ( )

5/5 ( )