There is an amazing author that I love, one that has written and illustrated books for kids for over 60 years, whose work subjects span from dinosaurs, how mummies are made, Shakespeare, how bread is baked and much more. This author goes by the simple pen name of Aliki, and she has contributed so much to the world of kid lit!

Her book, Digging For Dinosaurs, is perfect for budding paleontologists ages 5 and up. The story goes from a museum featuring dinosaur fossils and bones to out in the field where scientists work to find and dig up ancient remains.

What I love about Aliki's work is that she writes with a clarity that is easy to understand and engaging, and she understands how to explain her subjects in a way that makes the most sense for kids.

Story Time Conversation

What is your favorite dinosaur?
Of all of the people who work with fossils, which job would you most like? Paleontologist? Museum specialist? Geologist?
Which dinosaurs are plant eaters? Which dinosaurs are meat eaters?

Hi Booktomato family! How has your week gone? My three year old just started a new preschool this week, and it is going to be a big change for us because he is goes every morning until lunch time. It will take some getting used to for the both of us since he has stayed home with me full time until now. He loves it so far, and he's having a lot of fun. I am enjoying it too, even though I miss him a little bit. I love having a couple of hours each day to myself. I'm happiest when I have a space in my day for my own creativity.

Let's talk some more about the wonderful author, Aliki! The first one, Milk: From Cow to Carton, is one of my favorites. We have a small milk packaging factory in our neighborhood, and we like to imagine that inside its walls, cows are walking around in aprons and hair nets with clip boards in their hooves overseeing the production. The information in this book doesn't exactly match up with our imaginations but it is a fascinating story. The book follows the journey of milk from the farm to the factories where it is screened for safety purposes and bottled up for grocery stores. It also talks about different cultures around the world and different animals that produce milk. This book has that great Aliki formula of beautiful pictures + engaging information + clear language and easy explanations to questions that little minds are wondering about.