ALA Booklist (Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2003)

From the I Can Read series, this fictional story takes place in Wyoming in the 1880s. The morning after a storm, Ned is helping his father check the fences on their ranch when he discovers the bones of a triceratops. Outwitting a fossil hunter who tries to cheat him, Ned finds a better place to sell his find. In an appended note, Alphin gives background information about the noted fossil collectors and paleontologists of the period, who collected, prepared, and preserved the dinosaur skeletons that were coming to light in Wyoming and Montana. Bolognese contributes a series of sturdy line drawings, tinted with subtle shades of color that enhance the story rather than distracting the eyes. The clearly written story, historical context, western ranch setting, and, of course, the dinosaur connection also contribute to the book's appeal.

Horn Book

Readers of this advanced I Can Read book will welcome a story about unexpected discoveries, attempted swindling, and quick-wittedness when young Ned finds a fossilized dinosaur skeleton on his father's Wyoming ranch. Appropriately in a book for skilled early independent readers (who don't need to depend on the illustrations to decode the text), the watercolors sketch in the personalities and the sere Western landscape.

Kirkus Reviews

Wyoming in the 1880s is the setting for this transitional early chapter book, based partially on historic characters who searched the West for dinosaur fossils. The main characters are Ned, who works on his father's ranch and dreams of finding real dinosaur bones, and George, the son of a fossil hunter who works for a paleontologist. Ned succeeds in finding a triceratops skeleton, and he keeps his cool when an unscrupulous rival fossil hunter tries to swindle him out of his fossils for a single silver dollar. The plotline is simple, and the story is heavy on dialogue, but the combination of dinosaur fossils, horseback riding, and ranch life is unusual and will interest boys especially. Bolognese adds to the effort with attractive watercolors with heavy ink outlines. He handles both the horses and people with flair, especially in illustrations of the two boys with their respective fathers, skillfully showing the family resemblance. (author's note) (Easy reader. 6-8)

School Library Journal

Gr 2-3-When Ned finds dinosaur bones on his father's Wyoming ranch in the 1880s, a fossil hunter tries to trick him into giving them up. However, the astute boy is able to outwit the swindler and eventually sells his treasure to a collector who promises to put the bones in a museum for all to enjoy. An author's note at the end tells of two paleontologists of the period. Illustrations in dull browns and blues are lightened by the red of Ned's shirt. Plenty of white space and the division of the story into six short chapters increase the book's accessibility, but the less than compelling plot makes it merely an adequate selection for transitional readers.-Anne Knickerbocker, formerly at Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.