Devour Science: Learn About Dinosaurs!

Let's face it, dinosaurs make learning about science really cool. Dinosaur Dig It! by Jonathan Kronstadt maximizes kids' curiosity about the subject—teaching them the science behind fossil discoveries and what it can tell us about the history of the earth.

But, it's not your regular dinosaur book. This kit also includes a digging block with a plastic dinosaur fossil inside. Kids can unearth their own fossils with real tools of the trade, and then assemble the pieces with glue. Another neat feature to this set is the 20 collectible dinosaur cards which give the essential stats, including height, weight, diet - they even rate the creatures' defending power. Kids can also turn these cards into a fun game where meat-eating monsters, like the T-rex, beat out gentle giants like Camptosaurus. Even kids only mildly interested in dinosaurs will be rattling off figures like a pro.

The accompanying booklet provides a great introduction to paleontology and archaeology by taking kids behind the scenes of a dig. It tells kids how to dress (warm and dry!) and gives descriptions of the tools of the trade. If your child complains about cleaning her room, she may be interested to find out the painstaking process of cleaning fossils after they've been unearthed.

Kronstadt inspires kids to keep learning about the world around them, because, as he points out, the best fossil hunters are well-read. That's a sentiment any parent can get behind!

Dinosaur Dig It! by Jonathan Kronstadt (Scholastic, 2007)

Star rating: * * * *