Mastodon Mystery, Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books, 2001 

 

“The Great Unknown and a succeeding edition, re-entitled Mastodon Mystery, are wonderfully illustrated accounts of a search for ancient proboscidean (mastodon) remains that took place in Orange County, New York, more than 200 years ago. The recovery of Ice Age mastodons there caused a stir in scientific circles and fostered discussion about animal extinction and evolution. The search for mastodons and human beings who lived among them continues in Orange County to the present day. Author and artist Taylor Morrison’s account belongs on the bookshelf of every aspiring North American naturalist.” 

—Richard Michael Gramly, Ph.D., Archaeologist, 

American Society for Amateur Archaeology

 

“The search for the rest of the mastodon, the struggle to excavate, reconstruct, and display the skeleton are handsomely depicted in carefully researched paintings. . . . This presentation has certain reader appeal and might even inspire future paleontologists.”

—Kirkus Reviews

 

“Morrison weaves the facts into a story that not only dramatizes the intriguing events, but also points out that Americans 200 years ago were troubled to think that an animal could become extinct. . . . Well-composed paintings, from portraits to landscapes to action scenes, illustrate the story.”

—Booklist

 

A Bank Street College Center for Children’s Literature Best Book of the Year, 2001