Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros by Jane Kurtz

 Today's read caught my attention for several reasons:

1) I like the calming tones. Maybe, I need more calm in my life? Or maybe it fits to summerly pastels? Honestly, I'm not sure why, but it made me smile.

2) The baby rhino. I think that one is, actually, enough on its own.

3) The historical aspect. Not only does the man's clothing and hair scream historical, but this one claims to be based on a true story, one from history. And I have a soft spot for history.

As for the story....hmmm...honestly, I'm not sure what it will be about. I didn't look at the blurb thanks to the three above already making it a 'must take a peek' for me. So, let's open this one up and see what's inside.

CLARA THE TRIUMPHANT RHINOCEROS

A True Story

by Jane Kurtz

Illustrated by Claire Messer

Beach Lane Books

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

Meet Clara the world-traveling rhino in this adorable picture book based on the fascinating true story of how, in the late 1700s, she showed the world that big animals aren’t scary beasts but noble and intelligent creatures.

Clara the rhinoceros was born in India in 1738. When she was orphaned as a baby, a kind Dutch merchant took her in. But, as Clara grew bigger and bigger, it was clear she needed a new home. A visiting sea captain had an If he brought Clara to Europe, people all over the world could see how wonderful she was!

And so, Clara left her home, and she and Captain Van der Meer became a kind of family. They travelled all over by carriage, boat, road, and river. Clara met kings and queens, merchants and farmers, artists and scientists, and, along the way, forever changed the way people thought about her species and other large animals of the land, sea, and sky.

GOODREADS    /      AMAZON    /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

Clara, a rhinoceros, was born in India in 1738 and is the star of this book. Readers discover who she was and the impact her life had in Europe. Yes, there's a quite the voyage and traveling involved, but then, Clara did lead an interesting life, especially for a rhino. The books begins with her birth and follows her as she's brought into a house as a pet by a Dutch merchant. It also explains that rhinoceroses and other exotic animals were unknown to many people of the time period before following her aboard a ship with Captain Van der Meer (her 'family' for the rest of her life) as they head to Europe. From there, she goes on further travels and might experience an unexpected popularity.

This stays fact based and lets the events flow in historical order with tidbits about culture and such woven in as needed. While sticking to the events, the text flows smoothly and never grows boring. But then, Clara is a rhino to adore and will probably win listeners over, right away. The illustrations bring across the historical aspects and cultural goodness of the time frame in each scene. And there's even a map, when necessary, to help readers/listeners understand where Clara travels.

The ending is done with love and care, and finally, rounds everything off with a message from the author and some last words concerning ideologies of the time period and such. This makes it not only an enjoyable read but offers a little bit more for group, classroom, and homeschooling situations as well. 

And here they are...

Jane Kurtz was born in Portland, Oregon, but spent most of her childhood in Ethiopia. Jane speaks about being an author at schools and conferences and helped start Ethiopia Reads (EthiopiaReads.org), a nonprofit that has opened the first libraries for children in Ethiopia. She is the author of many books for children, including The Bone Wars, illustrated by Alexander Vidal; What Do They Do with All that Poo?, illustrated by Allison Black; Do Kangaroos Wear Seat Belts?, illustrated by Jane Manning; Anna Was Here; Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros, illustrated by Claire Messer; and the American Girl book Lanie.

Claire Messer is a graduate of the Cambridge School of Art. She works by hand, using traditional printmaking processes to create her picture books, which include the Busy Bus series by Jody Jensen Shaffer, Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros by Jane Kurtz, and her own Grumpy Pants. She lives in the UK.

Today's read... The Bone Wars by Jane Kurtz

Today's read just hit the shelves a little over a week ago...so almost a book birthday. I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy, since I'm always on the look-out for good, nonfiction reads. And this one appeared to be 'good'....dinosaurs, bones, and that with the promise of a war between fossil hunters. Let's just dive in and see if it might be something young dinosaur fans will enjoy seeing under the Christmas tree

THE BONE WARS

by Jane Kurtz

Illustrated by Alexander Vidal

Beach Lane Books

Picture Book  /   Nonfiction

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

Discover the true story of the race between two paleontologists to find the best dinosaur fossils in this fascinating, fast-paced nonfiction picture book. Who will win the Bone Wars?

Did you know that many of the dinosaur skeletons you see in museums are rooted in a scientific battle between two paleontologists? O. C. Marsh and Edward Cope met in 1863 and bonded over their shared love of fossils, becoming the best of friends…until the day Marsh discovered an error in Cope’s work, and the Bone Wars began!

Marsh and Cope stopped collaborating and started competing, excavating fossils as fast as they could, and trying to find the most important never-before-seen discoveries. They each wanted the biggest, best dinosaur bones. And fast! They used code names and disguises, they snooped and tricked, and did everything possible to keep their finds secret. The race was messy and there were many mistakes along the way, but in the end, Marsh and Cope discovered all kinds of new dinosaur skeletons to share with the world—fossils we still get to see today!

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON    /    BETTER WORLD BOOKS

MY TIDBITS

While dinosaur bones are already interesting, a historic fight between two men over ancient bones grabs even more attention.

O.C. Marsh and Edward Cope were two lead paleontologists around 1860, and they happened to become good friends. Each ones' new discoveries made the other one cheer...until one of them made a mistake while puzzling the latest bones together. What was once friendship turned into a determined race, each one trying to discover more new dinosaurs than the other. But the surprise can be found in who truly won their ruthless competition.

These pages prove that history isn't boring...but of course, dinosaur bones already will win more than a few readers over. Beginning with the warmth of an inspiring and fun friendship, this book launches into the interesting relationship between two men as they hunted for bones, discovered many new locations, and named more than a couple of their finds. While this doesn't go into depth about dinosaur facts or excavation, it does give a general idea about what happened when bones were discovered, what dinosaurs these men found and named (brontosaurus, stegosaurus, etc), and a glimpse at the competition, which surrounded these finds. It also demonstrates how mistakes were made when piecing these bones together.

The author does a great job at keeping the text and story interesting. Readers will have no problem identifying with the frustration when friendships sour, and they will wonder and shake their heads (and even giggle) at the nonsense the two caused as they tried to out-do each other. The ending does bring in a message about these types of fights (very subtly), but more importantly, carries an uplifting surprise.

As if the story itself wasn't well written for the age group (and older readers), the illustrations will have young dinosaur fans gazing at the pages. These aren't done in great detail but are easy to identify. Plus, the couple mistakes made by the men will have dinosaur fans smiling and show that these discoveries weren't always easy. 

And here they are...

Jane Kurtz was born in Portland, Oregon, but when she was two years old, her parents decided to move to Ethiopia, where she spent most of her childhood. Jane speaks about being an author at schools and conferences—in all but eleven of the United States, so far, and such places as Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, France, Germany, Romania, England, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Japan. She helped start Ethiopia Reads (EthiopiaReads.org), a nonprofit that has opened the first libraries for children in Ethiopia. She is the author of many books for children, including What Do They Do with All that Poo? illustrated by Allison Black, Do Kangaroos Wear Seat Belts? illustrated by Jane Manning, Anna Was Here, and the American Girl book Lanie.  

Originally from New Mexico, Alexander Vidal studied cultural anthropology and spent time living in Africa and Asia before starting his career in illustration. Travel, exploration, and a love of animals and wild spaces continue to drive the themes of his work. He is the illustrator of the board book So Many Feet; nonfiction family activity book I Love Birds!: 52 Ways to Wonder, Wander, and Explore Birds with Kids; and picture books Cougar Crossing!, Just You and Me, and The Bone Wars. He is a graduate of ArtCenter College of Design and lives in Los Angeles.