Mary Anning's Curiosity

Gr 4–7—Mary Anning (1799–1847) has been described as the "greatest fossilist the world ever knew." In actuality, there is very little definitively known about Anning's childhood and later life. What cannot be disputed is her contribution to our modern understanding of prehistoric creatures and paleontology. In order to address this lack of personal history, Kulling has created a fictionalized account of Anning's childhood, specifically focusing on the scientist's first major fossil discovery at age 12, when she found an ichthyosaurus in the cliffs near her home in Lyme Regis, on the Southern coast of Great Britain. Kulling's depiction of the family's poverty and grief over many lost children is powerful, but these details never overshadow Mary's development. Mary is drawn to the cliffs and the prospect of finding the "Giant Croc" bones of legend. Her brother Joe secures an apprenticeship elsewhere in town, leaving Mary with a brief description of the location of a piece of fossil he had discovered about a year earlier in the rock face. Armed with this knowledge and working carefully to avoid detection by the village con man, Captain Curry, Mary sets about seeking the location of the strange piece. With this fictionalized look at Anning's childhood, Kulling provides context for readers and offers a fascinating glimpse at how those who came before us have shaped our comprehension of the world.