Baby Mammoth Mummy

Gr 5—7—A startling discovery, a theft, and a global procession of forensic sites all play a part in this scientific look at a great paleontological find. From CAT scans to the use of surgical cameras, the mummy of a baby mammoth found dislodged from Siberian ice undergoes veritable CSI treatment in the Netherlands, Japan, the U.S., and in her Russian homeland as scientists scramble to discover her historic age (42,000 years), her chronological age (32 days), her diet (mother's milk), and the cause of her demise (suffocation in mud). Sloan's clear, readable text follows this journey in nicely defined stages, with explanations along the way for possibly unfamiliar processes. Plentiful photos, a pair of maps, some diagrams, and colorful artwork accompany the information. The whole is rounded out by a look at little "Lubya's world," the possible causes of mammoth extinction, and the possibility of re-creating "the Mammoth Steppe," complete with mammoths. Further-reading and online resources are adult, and the brief glossary consists mostly of technical terms. Baby animals are appealing in and of themselves, and the tragic death and scientific "resurrection" of this tiny tusker will attract researchers and general readers. Team this title with Sandra Markle's elegant Outside and Inside Woolly Mammoths (Walker, 2007) and/or Windsor Chorlton's look at the Jarkov discovery in Woolly Mammoth: Life, Death, and Rediscovery (Scholastic, 2001) for a look into a not-so-distant past (when New York City was buried under a mile of ice).—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY