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

An intriguing look into the early 20th century that features a strong female hero and—most importantly—dinosaurs. 

Gr 2-4--In this charming picture book biography, readers learn about Ruth Mason, a little-known contributor to the world of dinosaurs. Mason grew up in South Dakota in the early 1900s. She would often find bones in her backyard and started to collect them. After years of collecting and writing to experts, Mason was visited by a fossil hunter who confirmed that her treasures were indeed fossils that were millions of years old. Students will be able to identify with Mason's curiosity and wonder. The digital illustrations enhance the text with their soft colors and whimsical sensibility. Further reading suggestions are provided. This would be a great choice for reading aloud during fossil or dinosaur units. VERDICT A strong selection for picture biography collections, especially where there are gaps on the women in STEM shelves.--V. Lynn Christiansen, Wiley International Studies Magnet Elem. Sch., Raleigh, NC

Starting with Ruth Mason's childhood in 1905 South Dakota, where "no one thought much of the strange rubble"--the fossils she collects near her home, Lyon and Bye profile a white, "curious girl who discovered a lost world beneath her busy feet" in this told-you-so telling. Though she writes to museums and universities, which deem her finds "worthless," Mason "knew enough about the land to know that what she kept finding wasn't ordinary." She spreads her collection beneath nearby elms, creating a bone garden of "ancient secrets harvested from her land." After a fossil hunter called Rick Brooks arrives in Mason's 80th year, a group of experts finds "thousands of bones, representing at least ninety-nine dinosaurs" near her Badlands home. Digital art shows Mason's world in jewel tones, bringing the vibrancy of her certitude, and her finds, to portrayals of the landscape, the fossils, and tables covered in a lifetime's worth of letters. Back matter includes an author's note and further reading. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)