A Dinosaur Named Ruth: How Ruth Mason Discovered Fossils in Her Own Backyard

For fans of Shark Lady and from the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Dr. Fauci comes the incredible true story of a girl who discovered dinosaur bones in her own backyard and, after years of persistence, helped uncover one of the most exciting paleontological discoveries of our time.

There's an extraordinary secret hidden just beneath Ruth Mason's feet. The year is 1905, and Ruth is a prairie girl living in South Dakota. She has no way of knowing that millions of years ago, her family farm was once home to scores of dinosaurs. Until one day, when Ruth starts finding clues to the past: strange rocks and rubble scattered all across her land. They're dinosaur fossils--but she doesn't know that yet, either. It will take many years of collecting these clues, and many, many questions, but Ruth's curiosity will one day help uncover thousands of fossils all across her land.

New York Times bestselling illustrator Alexandra Bye's vibrant illustrations bring to life this inspiring and exciting debut picture book from award-winning journalist Julia Lyon.

Author: Julia Lyon
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published: 11/02/2021
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 11.20h x 9.20w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9781534474642
Audience: Ages 4-8


Review Citation(s):
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2021
Kirkus Reviews 10/01/2021
School Library Journal 10/01/2021 pg. 103
Publishers Weekly 10/18/2021
Booklist 11/01/2021 pg. 55

About the Author
Julia Lyon is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism and spent more than ten years working in daily newspapers in Oregon and Utah before becoming a freelance writer in 2013. She has won a United Nations Correspondents Association gold medal after visiting refugee camps in Thailand and has won many other journalism awards and distinctions for her reporting. A Dinosaur Named Ruth is her debut picture book.

Alexandra Bye is a freelance illustrator specializing in fun, colorful illustrations for a variety of media such as editorial and children's publications. Her work is constantly inspired by her flourishing New England community and reflects the energy and dynamic personality of hometown pride. In her free time, she enjoys mountain biking, Nordic ski racing, Jiu Jitsu, studying nutritional therapy, and hiking in the White Mountains with her dog, Oliver.