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Bill Thomson
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Fossil Hardcover – Picture Book, November 5, 2013

by Bill Thomson (Author, Illustrator)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 316 ratings
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When a boy and his dog go for a hike, the boy trips on a fossil, and it comes to life, revealing an ancient plant. The boy is so intrigued that he breaks two more fossils that come to life―a dragonfly and a pteranodon. When these prehistoric creatures collide with present reality, the boy must figure out a way to make things go back to normal. Visually told through art, this “wordless story” will surely spark imagination and creativity.

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  1. Reading age
    3 - 7 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    40 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 2
  5. Lexile measure
    NP
  6. Dimensions
    12 x 1 x 9 inches
  7. Publisher
    Two Lions
  8. Publication date
    November 5, 2013
  9. ISBN-10
    1477847006
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1477847008
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

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From Publishers Weekly

Thomson follows his wordless picture book Chalk with another close encounter of the prehistoric kind. This time, a boy finds that when he splits open stones he Finds along the shore of a lake, the plant and animal fossils inside them come to life. The boy trips after picking up a fist sized stone, revealing a fossil fern leaf embedded within. Thus freed, the fern springs up in front of the boy and his cocker spaniel; dazzling light indicates its miraculous nature, and its source is made clear as the boy holds up the fossil to compare it to the fern. A dragonfly is released next, but when the boy releases a huge, scaly pterodactyl, it carries his dog away, and he must work out how to send the predator back to its extinct state. The pacing is tight, and Thomson’s lifelike art stuns on every page, enlivened further by dynamic angles, confident use of panel sequences and full-bleed spreads, and vivid close-ups of the boy’s shocked face. If anything, this adventure is even more effective than its predecessor. (September 2013)

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Two Lions (November 5, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1477847006
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1477847008
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ NP
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 2
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 316 ratings

About the author

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Bill Thomson

Bill Thomson

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Bill Thomson lives in Southington, Connecticut with his wife, Diann, and their three sons, Billy, Nik, and Ethan. Bill illustrated the picture books, Karate Hour, Building With Dad, Baseball Hour, and Soccer Hour; and he also created the wordless books, CHALK, FOSSIL and The Typewriter. Bill teaches at the Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford where he is a Professor of Illustration.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
316 global ratings
Dinosaur adventure wordless book!
4 Stars
Dinosaur adventure wordless book!
A boy and his dog stumbling upon a fossil, leads to a chance encounter with a pteranodon. Fun idea with great illustrations!I found the author's video reading of this book by googling 'FOSSIL for The International School of the Gothenburg Region (ISGR) Video'
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Top reviews from the United States

Melissa Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations, great story, lots of fun
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2014
Verified Purchase
I gave this to my 6yr old daughter for Christmas and she loved it! She is really taking off with her reading and I bought this mistakenly thinking it had a word story accompanying the illustrated story. It is all illustrations but they are so beautiful, so amazing that words are not needed to tell this story. I was disappointed for a moment (because I'm trying to encourage my daughters fledging reading skills) until I "read" the story, flipping each page and following the storyline by looking at the amazing illustrations, but I was really impressed with the story and how it is told with those beautiful illustrations. I realized something after I finished the story....there may not be printed words for my daughter to practice on, but she has to use her imagination and critical thinking skills to follow a storyline using illustrations only. For this reason I found Fossil to be a beautiful book, a fun book, AND a learning tool....which was one of the reasons I bought it. I recommend this book to anyone, of any age, it's wonderful.
10 people found this helpful
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Terri Cragg
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2022
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kids loved this book! Pictures were amazing. My class loved figuring out the story from the pictures since it has no words.
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C. Chappell
5.0 out of 5 stars Finding the Unexpected
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
A boy and his dog at the beach are having a good time until the boy finds a rock with a fossil inside it. Plants start to grow and large insects fly as the boy finds other fossils. It is not so fun when the boy finds a fossil of a flying dinosaur bone! His dog is picked up by the pterodactyl and the boy must figure out how to get his dog back and do away with a dangerous piece of the past that has come to life. The illustrations in this book are wonderful and beautiful. Expressions on the face of the boy are priceless.
One person found this helpful
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Ann Elliot
4.0 out of 5 stars Pterodactyl on the Loose
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
My 7-year-old grandson has always loved dinosaurs. And wordless books. Fossil seemed like the perfect combination. At 99 cents, the book seemed worth a try.

The illustrations are magical. The subject matter is ideal for a boy who often begins sentences with "If dinosaur were alive today . . . . " He says he liked the book because the boy didn't give up and used all his skills to save his dog.

But the book is too short. The story can be "read" in about 2 minutes.

When they were younger, both my grandsons loved David Wiesner's books Mr. Wuffles and Flotsam, as well as Mercer Mayer's Octopus Soup. The wordless books are complex and filled with a range of emotions. Something new can be found in the charming illustrations even after 100 "readings" of these books. And the boys insisted on many, many readings.

The three books are, of course, more expensive than Fossil.

For a quick one- or two-time read, Fossil is a great choice. For a book to keep, treasure, and read until the book is looking a bit worn, invest in one of the longer ones.
2 people found this helpful
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Cynthia M. Hopp
5.0 out of 5 stars Wordless = imagination
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2020
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Most picture books have words and illustrations to read and enjoy. Wordless picture books lend themselves to interpretation, which is a good thing. Without words to read, your interpretation can be a focus point for discussion, debate, etc. The illustrations are fabulous!
One person found this helpful
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Deborah Arroyo
5.0 out of 5 stars Another wonderful book by Bill Thompson
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2021
Verified Purchase
My students love this book. They love all his books. Please keep writing!
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Book Reviewer
1.0 out of 5 stars Not Great
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2020
Verified Purchase
It was not very realistic. If you are a teacher and you want to teach your kids about fossils this is not the book.
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Judy
5.0 out of 5 stars KATIE
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2013
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My niece's Springer Spaniel Katie was the model for this book. She told me the author took over 700 pictures of her to capture all the movements depicted in the book and knowing Katie he got it down right the first time. I was happy to be able to get a copy of the book and I know this book will stir imaginations in children.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Patricia
5.0 out of 5 stars Fossil
Reviewed in Canada on December 27, 2023
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Très beau livre. Les images de cet auteur sont magnifiques et très réalistes
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Josué Pablo Morales
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente servicio, llegó en tiempo, muy bien empacado.
Reviewed in Mexico on July 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
El diseño y la calidad de las imágenes del libro son impresionantes, fácil de entender y leer a pesar de ser un libro sin palabras.
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Client, tout simplement
2.0 out of 5 stars prix disproportionné
Reviewed in France on June 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
pas le genre de livre qu'on consulte à répétition, intéressant mais ne mérite pas son prix
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Hava Michaelis Ramon
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2018
Verified Purchase
Real like illustrations and an imaginative story. Thomson is a genius/
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Hale and Hardy
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for boys 10 years and younger.
Reviewed in Canada on April 16, 2017
Verified Purchase
Beautifully illustrated wordless book that tells the story with images alone. No language barrier issues. Great book for any 10 or younger child, but boys will likely enjoy this more, as they will identify with the main character. Nice large format book with a hardcover and slipcase. Not too many pages, either.
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