The Garden Bone, by Maria Magliano | Dedicated Review

Book Review of The Garden Bone
Sponsored* | All opinions are our own
The Children’s Book Review

What to Expect: Family, grief, dinosaurs, magic

From a gut-wrenching nightmare to his little brother breaking his favorite model dinosaur, Wenceslao is having a terrible day—that is, until he finds the fossil in his garden. Wences knows the Carcharodontosaurus tooth should not have been there, but once he’s dug it up, everything starts to change. Suddenly, Wences is having the same weird dreams that made his dad and grandpa famous as paleontologists, while the tooth takes on more life moment by moment and its spirit stalks through his dreams. As Wences and his friends try to work out what it all means, they face a journey into another world—and their own hearts.

Any parent of a child obsessed with dinosaurs knows just how irresistible these prehistoric wonders are. The Garden Bone brings that obsession to life with breathtaking attention to scientific detail and a bone-deep understanding of childhood emotions. Wenceslao is a thoroughly relatable, endearing protagonist, whose ups and downs would keep the reader gripped even if it weren’t for the exciting adventure narrative. The story is rich with details, from Wences’ Abuela’s Argentinian Spanish to the barbed exchanges of Wences’ classmates. Edgy comic-book-style illustrations help bridge the distance between middle-grade and tween, as well as giving readers a peek inside Wences’ head.

The Garden Bone is a beautifully written and completely engrossing story, blending scientific fact with roller-coaster fantasy.

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