Mary Anning was a young girl in early 19th century England when she discovered a so-called sea dragon fossil (actually a complete fossilised skeleton of what the scientific community now refers to as an ichthyosaur, an ancient sea reptile). I don't know if Mary Anning was the first woman to have made a palaeontological discovery, but it is generally accepted that she was the first individual to have discovered a complete skeleton of an ichthyosaur.

This wonderful picture book by Jeannine Atkins (illustrated by Michael Dooling) describes Mary's momentous discovery in both an informative and emotionally satisfying style. I appreciate how the author conveys both Mary Anning's curiosity and ingenuity, but also how supportive certain members of both her immediate family and the public seem to have been. Faced with the critical attitudes of some members of her family (like Mary's Aunt Ruth), Mary's mother nevertheless encourages her daughter's ambitions, her curiosity (Mary must help around the house, but her mother never frowns upon or discourages her searches for curiosities). It is also both encouraging and wonderfully modern that Mary's mother is more concerned with her daughter's physical safety than proper ladies' fashion, that she insists on Mary donning a gentleman's top hat on her expeditions, it being sturdier than a straw bonnet. Equally encouraging is the fact that Lord Henley does not simply take over Mary's discovery, that he is shown as being supportive, without being interfering. Lord Henley, who is, after all, a member of the English aristocracy, is also never depicted as talking downto Mary, he approaches her as an equal, actually, he approaches her as a fellow scientist, a fellow discoverer.

In my opinion, Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon also manages to demonstrate to present-day youngsters (at least those living in North America and Western Europe) just how fortunate many of them are. I believe that many of today's children take education and the pursuit of education very much for granted, so detailing how Mary Anning had to quit school after the death of her father (in order to help earn money for the family) is an excellent and thought-provoking message, made even more powerful by the fact that the author does not belabour this point. However, I believe that the most important, the most essential message portrayed in and by this story is an invitation to follow one's curiosity, to follow one's dreams. And this is a message directed at all children, and not just girls. Mary is a girl, but her gender does not really play that important a role in the story; first and foremost, she is described as a curious and talented human being (a budding scientist).

Another absolute plus for Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon is the informative author's note. Not only does Jeannine Atkins do a wonderful job expanding on Mary Anning's life, she makes an important comment how modern palaeontology owes much to early amateur collectors (especially children), whose findings raised questions about the earth's past and started to challenge traditional Bible-based theories of the former. And while some modern scientists believe that only trained professionals should be allowed to collect and excavate fossils, others do acknowledge the role played by early amateur enthusiasts like Mary Anning.

I really wish I could give this excellent picture book five stars, but I really do not like the illustrations all that much. While I do love Michael Dooling's evocative, almost haunting seascapes, I honestly do not think that he has managed to capture the essence of many of the human characters portrayed. The adult characters are generally illustrated well enough, but Mary Anning and many of the other child characters appear much too adult like, especially in their facial expressions. But all in all, I was quite pleasantly surprised by this picture book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the early history of palaeontology, or anyone wanting to encourage and/or promote palaeontological interest in children (both girls and boys). ( )