The Dinosaur Expert by Margaret McNamara (review)

The class field trip to the natural history museum should be pure bliss for dinosaur-lover Kimmy, but even surrounded by reconstructions of the dinos she knows so well, there's a nagging annoyance. It's not just the silliness of her classmates, who shout out about Archaeopteryx looking like a "dancing rabbit" with a "monkey tail" or the discomfort of knowing that she knows way more than she probably should let on. It's Jake, who taunts her that all paleontologists are men, and there's a wall full of historical photographs to prove it. Mr. Tiffin, a hero of a teacher if ever there was one, quietly directs her attention to a case featuring Gasparinisaura, a fast, graceful herbivore named in honor of paleontologist Zulma Brandoni de Gasparini. A woman! And yes, she even has a photo on display. Kimmy finds her voice again and now willingly shares her observations with attentive classmates. Karas' mixed-media pictures are deftly balanced to portray the dinosaur displays in recognizable detail, while also capturing the myriad interactions of a pack of kids genuinely enjoying their off-campus learning day. A double-page spread featuring thumbnail pictures and bios of seven female fossil hunters and paleontologists is included. Take that, Jake. EB