NONFICTION MONDAY: Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled by Catherine Thimmesh
ABOUT THE BOOK
No human being has ever seen a triceratops or velociraptor or even the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. They left behind only their impressive bones. So how can scientists know what color dinosaurs were? Or if their flesh was scaly or feathered? Could that fierce T.rex have been born with spots? In a first for young readers, the Sibert medalist Catherine Thimmesh introduces the incredible talents of the paleoartist, whose work reanimates gone-but-never-forgotten dinosaurs in giant full-color paintings that are as strikingly beautiful as they aim to be scientifically accurate, down to the smallest detail. Follow a paleoartist through the scientific process of ascertaining the appearance of various dinosaurs from millions of years ago to learn how science, art, and imagination combine to bring us face-to-face with the past.
REVIEW
What a fascinating read! I've long wondered exactly what an artist does when asked to portray something that nobody has ever seen. This book beautifully explains the ideas and strategies that paleoartists use to depict dinosaurs. As I've long thought, it's a combination of science and educated guesses followed up by corrections as new knowledge becomes available. The author gives a brief history of dinosaur art starting with the work of B.W. Hawkins up to the present day. The artwork included in the book is amazing and comes from the either historical artists or the artists that the author interviewed for the book. I also appreciated the information on each of the different artists and their knowledge and experiences. A fascinating book for those who are fascinated by dinosaurs or by art or both.
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