The opal dinosaur by Yvonne Mes. Illus. by Sylvia Morris

The Opal Dinosaur is the true story of the discovery of a smallish dinosaur called an iguanodontid, scientific name Fostoria dhimbangunmal. The dinosaur was named after Bob Foster, who first discovered the bones at Lightning Ridge NSW in 1984, and the Traditional Owners of the lands where the bones were found. It took until 2019 for the dinosaur to be officially named. 

This incredible story began over 100 million years ago when a tiny dinosaur and its herd were chased by a larger dinosaur. The herd were split up and a few were trapped on the crumbling riverbank and ended up in the water where they could not out-swim the fast torrent and perished. As they lay on the riverbank their bones were buried beneath the sand.

Millions of years pass. Humans now walk the land, the Gamilaraay people first and then others who settle in the area. The bone fragments have over the years turned into opals. Fortunately for this little dinosaur Bob Foster realised he had found something special and took them to the Australian Museum in Sydney where they were identified as dinosaur fossils.  Years passed and it is palaeontologist Dr Phil Bell who realises the significance of Bob Foster’s discovery.

This is an absorbing story that will appeal to many young readers as their fascination with dinosaurs, fossils, rocks and minerals, often leads them to seek new books on these topics. The endpapers are particularly stunning with the front displaying a view of Earth showing Gondwana and a timeline starting with the Triassic period, and the back showing Australia from the time of the First Peoples 65000 years ago and the timeline of the important events in the small dinosaur’s journey. In the final pages are comprehensive facts and a detailed glossary. Teacher notes are available.

Themes: Dinosaurs, Opals, Extinct animals, Fossils, Australia, Prehistoric Earth.

Kathryn Beilby