The Griffin and the Dinosaur

Graham Rowat's lyrical performance is immediately engaging, a necessary thing, given that this book is under 40 minutes. His lively narration highlights the story's historical details. Best of all, his sober yet whimsical tone is perfectly suited to this story about a small-town girl who creates her own brand of science after persevering in uncovering the facts behind stories of the creature known as the griffin. Rowat's modulations convey Adrienne Mayor's fascination with the natural world, stories, and Greek mythology, which led to her discovery of fossils and other evidence proving that the mythical eagle-lion hybrid, observed and documented by Scythians, was, in fact, related to the dinosaur. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

April 21, 2014
What started as a hunch—that the legend of the griffin began with people who had seen fossils of extinct animals—led self-taught scientist Mayor to trace the origins of a myth to a basis in fact. With the suspense of a detective story, the narrative details Mayor’s research process as she consults with experts, conducts fieldwork, and seeks out ancient documents, artifacts, and stories. Beyond the intriguing content of the book itself, Aronson and Mayor deliver an empowering message: that the world contains many yet-to-be-solved enigmas, and there’s more than one way to crack a (dinosaur) egg. Ages 10–up.

August 1, 2015

Gr 5-8-In this true story, historian Mayor travels across the world, searching ancient writings and learning ancient languages as she pursues clues to support her hypothesis that stories of griffins and other mythical creatures were inspired by dinosaur fossils. Along the way other tidbits come to light, such as the Scythians as the origin of the Amazons, a possible link between mammoth skulls and the Cyclops, and the discovery of Megalopolis. Graham Rowar narrates a riveting historical mystery with the right blend of suspense and passion. VERDICT This well-rounded tale combines mythology and dinosaurs and will be of interest to fans of both.-Denise A. Garofalo, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY

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