There are very few biographies out there for young children that capture their interest. My 8 year old daughter chose this book for her biography book report, was entranced by it and by the subject -- Bejamin Waterhouse Hawkins.
Surprisingly I was also intigued by the book, found the illustrations magnificent and the story "stranger than fiction". Kudos!

I purchased this as a gift for my four year old Grandson and found myself fasinated with the book. The story, although true, was new to me. I was entranced with not only the narrative but also the great and colorful art work. This is a book for all ages and I predict it will become a classic for those of us who marvel at the number of and various sizes of the different dinosaurs. A perfect gift for that Dinosaur-loving Child in your life.
Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge

"Can you fathom a time when almost no one in the world knew what a dinosaur looked like?" Well, back in the mid-eighteen hundreds, that was just the case. Archeologists and paleontologists had found dinosaur fossils and bits and pieces of their skeletons, but no one had actually drawn or created a model of what one might have really looked like. Enter Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. He had always had a passion for drawing and sculpting animals, and now as an adult, realized his dream project, commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, of building life sized dinosaur statues for all the world to see..... Take a little biography and science, add some mystery, history, humor and suspense, and you have the makings of one intriguing and captivating story. Barbara Kerley and Brian Selznick take us from England to America and back with this thrilling and unique story about this special man of vision. Ms Kerley's detailed text is exciting, thoughtful, and inspiring, and beautifully complemented by Mr Selznick's dazzling and intricate illustrations. Together word and art create a vivid and lasting picture of a man who followed his dream through both triumph and disaster. Fascinating end notes are as entertaining as the story, enhance and augment learning and should open the door to interesting lessons and discussions. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, The Dinosaurs Of Waterhouse Hawkins is a treasure to be savored and enjoyed each and every time it's read.

'Songs of Papa's Island' is a cute freshman outing for Barbara Kerley. In words it does capture the 'sights, sounds, and feelings of a unique and wonderful place,' as its inside cover states, though I can't help but feel that it would have benefited from more articulate illustrations. For their
individual merit, Katherine Tilllotson's images and cover are pleasant and incorporate a popular artistic style. (I feel like I've seen them passing souvenir shops, traveling down the southeastern coast - places like South Carolina, Florida and the Keys.) But I'm not sure how much they serve Barbara Kerley's 'songs' and ultimate story. They are far too simple in comparison to the narration. Admittedly designed for a younger audience, 'Where the Wild Things Are' is a masterful example of children's literature in which imagery heightens a story's words and lyricism and creates a vivid world. Twenty years later I can still conjure images of Maurice Sendak's intimidating, yet
approachable, wild-eyed monsters.

At the end of the day, Kerley's 'songs' don't resonate with me either and they lack the lyrical quality that the inside cover claims they have. Literarily her concept is clear. Emotively though it just doesn't connect. Songs by nature carry themes and Kerley's theme does not resonate. Her repetition - "Before you were born you lived on an island . . ." - seems dry and pallid. It lacks the kind of vibrancy that comes through good music or
poetry. On this note, there is also something strange, or let's say contradictory, about the work. When Kerley set out to write it, my impression is that she aimed to tell a story that nostalgically depicts a tropically idyllic place that teams with natural life. And for the most part, it's fair to say she accomplished this. But, in her stories to her daughter she
mentions things like a 'respirator,' 'throwing up,' 'fancy hotels,' and 'tourists'. Things of this nature seem to break with or detract from the intended tone and reality of the piece.