A New Duck: My First Look at the Life Cycle of a Bird Book

This outstanding science title for younger readers manages both to tap into childhood excitement about, and fascination with dinosaurs, and to communicate the idea that scientific thinkers are not infallible - that scientific ideas and theories must change, as our evidence grows - in a way that feels entirely natural, and free of any "lecturing" tone. Of course, as a non-fiction title, there is a clear didactic purpose here, but Kudlinksi's narrative, aided by S.D. Schindler's art, never loses sight of the fact that this is a topic that is fun, as well factual.

Highlighting the many ways in which early scientists and scholars got it wrong - the ancient Chinese thinking that dinosaur bones were evidence of dragons, the assumption that dinosaurs were cold-blooded, rather than warm-blooded - when it comes to our dinosaurian friends, Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs! sets the record straight, as far as it is possible with our current knowledge, and emphasizes the fact that current thinking may be incorrect as well. The artwork was very amusing (I liked the little speech blurbs showing what the dinosaurs might have thought about the misconceptions being depicted), and adds to the feeling of excitement. All in all, an excellent book for all young dinosaur lovers, and for young scientists in general.