Maia: A Dinosaur Grows Up

A baby duckbilled dinosaur living eighty million years ago on the North American continent leaves her mother's nest, forages for food, evades predators, mates, and produces a family of her own

Grade 1-6 Based on Horner's new discoveries concerning the Maiasaura, this book follows a baby duckbill dinosaur from birth through maturity. What makes this story so special is its commitment to making recent scientific discovery accessible to children. Although the dinosaurs are personified, the fictionalization never becomes maudlin; while obviously directed at children, the story maintains a realistic viewpoint towards birth, life, and death. Exquisite color illustrations back Horner's theories by representing dinosaurs in a clear, anatomically realistic manner. Fossil evidence indicates that Maiasaura did raise their young in nests and were attentive parents. Other information, such as Maiasaura coloration or noise-making abilities, are more a matter of conjecture. The authors have filled the gaps of knowledge believably, although problems may arise when readers try to differentiate between fact and fiction. Personification such as ``Maia felt happy'' also detracts from an otherwise objective stance. Horner notes that it's impossible to hypothesize without taking the chance of being wrong, and that science could not progress if scientists were unwilling to constantly rethink and revise. That Horner and Gorman have chosen to share this process with children makes this an especially important book, despite its flaws. Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.