An A to Z Dinosaur Mystery
Paul Guilleminot
Author Bio
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, I grew up in a modest household. We didn’t always get what we wanted, but we always had what we needed. It’s here that I had dreamt of becoming an artist ever since I could hold my first crayon. Over the years, I have fine-tuned my craft. From the early days of indescribable squiggles to better, describable squiggles, to what you see here today.
Storytelling came easy for me – almost too easy (just ask my mother). Coupled with my love of science and history, making illustrated children’s books just seemed like a natural fit.
I was blessed to have some great teachers through the years but one made an impact like no other, Mr. Bertrand Delaquis. His “secret formula” to teaching was simple yet effective – make it fun by bringing history to life. He taught with such passion and genuine enthusiasm that he made it easy to be engaged in the topic, no matter how dry the subject matter was that day. Much of what he taught has stuck with me twenty-plus years later. I hope to pass on this love of history (with a healthy dose of silliness) to the next generation of eager explorers and historians.
I love travelling with my family, history, science, sports and the arts. I’m always eager to watch a good, factual, history mockumentary. What can I say, some of my favorite shows growing up were: Monty Python, History Bites, Blackadder and Max, The 2000 Year-Old Mouse. I enjoy learning something new every day and relishing new experiences when they come along. Life is a grand adventure and I’m enjoying every minute of it (mostly).
Description
Ideally suited for dinosaur enthusiasts aged 3 to 8 years-old (or grade 1 reading level); An A to Z Dinosaur Mystery serves as an introduction to various dinosaurs, one for each letter of the alphabet. Some of the dinosaurs are well known, like Tyrannosaurus Rex, while others like Hadrosaurus or Oohkotokia are far more obscure. Who knew there were so many different dinosaurs, right?
At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Doctor Dinosaur, a Grandfatherly figure who loves dinosaurs and adventure with child-like enthusiasm. He has great news to share! A new discovery has been made, and he’s already compiled a list of this new creature’s features. He immediately enlists his Junior Paleontologists (you, the reader) to help him solve the mystery of this new discovery. With the Doctor serving as a guide, the Junior Paleontologists progress through his list alphabetically, visiting each dinosaur in their own natural habitat (some realistic and some, just silly) while collecting an interesting fact about each dinosaur as they go. Did you know that Camarasaurus had a single toe-claw? Or that some dinosaurs even had feathers? These unique dinosaur facts each serve as a piece of a puzzle, coming together to reveal the big surprise ending!
The book is written in simple rhyming fashion and includes the phonetic spelling of each dinosaur’s name so that readers of all levels can enjoy the story equally. Colorful illustrations add context to the rhymes and tell a bigger story visually. The goals of this book are to entertain, educate, amuse, and stimulate the imagination of the next generation of explorers, scientists, or whatever else they want to be. Although all of the dinosaurs featured A through Z did really exist during the Mesozoic Era, their appearance (and sometimes their environment) were altered to suit the story and targeted age group. Dinosaurs were diverse and unique in their own way, not unlike humankind really. Paleontologists today are still making remarkable discoveries and we’re learning more and more about the “Age of Dinosaurs” all the time! So, grab your favorite spot on the couch and dig in!
Book excerpt
(This is a children’s picture book and it doesn’t contain 500 words – here are the first 10 pages…I can provide more as needed)
Oh, hello there my Junior Paleontologists,
I have discovered a new dino as described on this list!
When these bony backplates were first discovered,
we thought Ankylosaurus was uncovered.
But its very long neck is like Brachiosaurus,
And a lone toe claw just as Camarasaurus.
Like Dilophosaurus it had a semi-circular crest,
And strange tail feathers like Epidexipteryx.
Larger than Fruitadens, who was quite small,
But smaller than Giganotosaurus who could fill up a mall.
It had a duck-bill like Hadrosaurus,
And big buck-teeth like Incisivosaurus.
Like Jobaria, its tail was not long,
But its temper – a match for the legendary Khaan!
Author Website
http://www.paulguilleminotbooks.com