Book Sharing :: One Riddle, One Answer - The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins

I haven't shared any favourite books lately, not because we haven't discovered any, but because there seems to never be enough hours in a day to post on the blog! So I am catching up a little and sharing these last two favourite picture books. 

The first one is "One Riddle, One Answer" written by Lauren Thompson and illustrated by Linda S. Wingerter. My oldest daughter remembered this book, we must have read it a few years ago. Celeste read this on her own several times after I read it aloud. Our whole family loves riddles and puzzles. 

From the inside jacket:

"Long ago, there lived a princess named Aziza who loved numbers as much as she loved riddles. And so when it is time for Aziza to marry, she devises a clever number riddle for her suitors to solve. There is only one answer to the riddle and only the one who can answer it correctly will be the one for her." 

The author explains how the riddle was solved by Ahmed at the end of the book. This book was a nice blend of princess story and Math. 

The other picture book I'd like to share with you, I happen to notice on the library shelf. Andre loved dinosaurs as a little boy, and still does so I picked this one up mainly for him. "The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins" is a true story written by Barbara Kerley and beautifully illustrated by Brian Selznick. Both the author and the illustrator included notes at the back of the book that are very interesting and tell us more about their experiences while working on the book, Waterhouse Hawkins, his dinosaurs, and the Crystal Palace. 

I was intrigued by the page showing the diner guests inside the dinosaur model...that did happen! 

From the inside jacket:

"Can you fathom a time when almost no one in the world knew what a dinosaur looked like? That was true in the mid-nineteenth century, until a Victorian artist named Waterhouse Hawkins brought these ancient animals to life for all to see. Originally in his native England and later in New York City, he devoted over three decades to building the first life-sized models of dinosaurs, and he dazzled the world with his awe-inspiring creations." 

Wikipedia has an entry about the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs. We found a YouTube video showing many photos of Waterhouse Hawkins' dinosaurs:





This post is linked to the Kid Lit Blog Hop, a wonderful collection of children's books posts by many bloggers. You can visit here.