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Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore and Science of Mythical Creatures

by Elizabeth Shreeve

Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore and Science of Mythical Creatures

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Regular price $35.02 USD Sale price $21.01 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    School Library Journal starred review

    Starred review; the review says the book “will draw in the most reluctant readers.”

AlbakiReads Editorial

Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore and Science of Mythical Creatures

Elizabeth Shreeve’s middle-grade nonfiction connects legendary beings with the natural history and ancient cultures that may have shaped their stories. The book pairs folklore from around the globe with paleontology, considering possible links such as a protoceratops skull and the griffin’s hooked beak, or manatees and mermaid legends. Its subject spans both real creatures and the imaginative traditions built around them, offering a way to explore how people interpreted what they encountered in the world. The blend of mythology, fossils, and early civilizations gives the book a cross-disciplinary focus, with familiar figures including dragons, unicorns, mermaids, griffins, and phoenixes.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Middle-grade readers interested in dinosaurs, fossils, and paleontology
  • Readers curious about folklore and mythical creatures from around the world
  • Children exploring connections between ancient civilizations and natural history

Themes

Folklore and mythologyPaleontology and fossilsEarly civilizationsOrigins of mythical creatures

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

An imaginative nonfiction middle grade exploration of mythology, paleontology, and early civilizations through legendary creatures from across the globe and the fossils that might have inspired their origins that "will draw in the most reluctant readers" (School Library Journal, starred review).

What if we lived in a world with fire-breathing dragons? Or enigmatic, alluring mermaids? How about rainbow-nibbling unicorns? These fabled beasts aren't as far from us as we think. After all, their legends had to have come from somewhere...

Join us as we weave together legendary tales and new scientific findings to uncover connections between real and mythical creatures. Delving into the past, we'll see how our ancestors took what they found in the world and created the beloved fantastical creatures we dream about today.

Could the skull of a protoceratops have inspired the hooked beak of a griffin? From manatee to mermaid, heron to phoenix, we'll trace the truth behind these fantastical creatures and make some new discoveries along the way!
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