Fossil

Thomson follows his wordless picture book Chalk with another close encounter of the prehistoric kind. This time, a boy finds that when he splits open stones he finds along the shore of a lake, the plant and animal fossils inside them come to life. The boy trips after picking up a fist-sized stone, revealing a fossil fern leaf embedded within. Thus freed, the fern springs up in front of the boy and his cocker spaniel; dazzling light indicates its miraculous nature, and its source is made clear as the boy holds up the fossil to compare it to the fern. A dragonfly is released next, but when the boy releases a huge, scaly pterodactyl, it carries his dog away, and he must work out how to send the predator back to its extinct state. The pacing is tight, and Thomson's lifelike art stuns on every page, enlivened further by dynamic angles, confident use of panel sequences and full-bleed spreads, and vivid close-ups of the boy's shocked face. If anything, this adventure is even more effective than its predecessor. Ages 5-8. (Nov.)

Bursting with sun-washed illustrations that approach photography in their realism and detail, Thomson's wordless picture book features a child out on a walk with his canine companion when he picks up an interesting rock. He trips and drops it and, when it breaks open, he discovers the imprint of a plant inside. With a mysterious twinkling of lights, a live version of the plant appears. He breaks open a second rock containing the shadow of a dragonfly, and suddenly the real thing is darting around him. The third rock he finds contains the outline of a dinosaur's foot, and one can guess what happens next. The dog runs after the flying prehistoric beast, leaping onto its back. Chasing after them, the boy steps on the first rock, breaking it into shards, and the live plant disappears. The boy realizes that if he shatters the dinosaur fossil, the creature will vanish, leaving his dog unharmed (although he seems to be enjoying himself). Thomson's take on the fun of discovering these records written in nature is original and inspiring, encouraging young minds to imagine the plants actually growing, the insects really buzzing, and the dinosaurs truly soaring thousands of years ago. An exceptionally creative effort in combining science and art and turning kids into storytellers.—Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR