Fossils of the Rock Chalk

Bones and Beasts of the Kansas Cretaceous

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Fossils of the Rock Chalk lets readers journey back in time to the Kansas Cretaceous Period, when mosasaurs and pterosaurs roamed the seas and skies. As you flip through this book’s pages, you’ll feel like you are walking through a museum surrounded by swimming reptiles, flying reptiles, bony fishes, sharks, birds, and invertebrates, all brought to life with stunning illustrations of ancient life. Written and illustrated by two members of the Bonner fossil-hunting family.

ISBNs: Paperback 9798993053134 · Hardcover 9798993053141

Old Man of the Fossil Beds book cover

Fossils of the Rock Chalk is a time-machine cruise on a prehistoric ocean inhabited by astonishing fish, reptiles, and birds that lived there for more than thirty million years before vanishing with the dinosaurs. Sign up for the expedition when you turn page one and you’ll never want to get off the boat.
— Brad Matsen, author, with artist Ray Troll, of Planet Ocean: A Story of Life, the Sea, and Dancing to the Fossil Record.

A handy guide to chalk-bed fossils and the animals that gave rise to them, written and illustrated by members of one of the premier fossil-collecting families of western Kansas. Take it along the next time you head out.
— Rex Buchanan, editor, Kansas Geology: An Introduction to Landscapes, Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils

Melanie Bonner Thomas, a Kansas native, spent most of her career as an editor and writer in Austin, Texas, and currently lives in New Orleans. She has written biographies of famous people for young readers, as well as magazine articles on paleontology, archeology, and history for Texas Monthly and Hispanic magazines.

Chuck Bonner, from Leoti, Kansas, contributed the use of his mural for illustrations used in the book. He combines the avocations of his parents—paleontology and art—in the Keystone Gallery and Fossil Museum, located in western Kansas on U.S. Highway 83 between Scott City and Oakley, Kansas. Bonner received his BA and MA in art from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.

  • Foreword
  • Imagine a World
  • Preface
  • 1. What Is the Rock Chalk?
  • 2. Collectors and Classification
  • 3. Swimming Reptiles
  • 4. Flying Reptiles
  • 5. Invertebrates
  • 6. Bony Fishes
  • 7. Sharks
  • 8. Birds
  • 9. Hunting and Studying Fossils
  • 10. Can You Identify These Fossils?
  • 11. The Full Mural
  • Kansas Museums and Chalkbed Sites
  • Acknowledgements
  • Further Reading
  • About the Contributors

Coming Soon

For Younger Readers

The Fossil-Finding Family

A Bonner family excursion illustrated with family photos. Come along with the Bonner kids as they hunt fossils, discover treasures, and explore nature.

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About

Chalk Lily Books, an independent, selective publishing company, is dedicated to thoughtful storytelling, amplifying overlooked voices, and exploring evocative places. Rooted in a tradition of curiosity and creative exploration, our imprint focuses on projects that illuminate the past, celebrate discovery, and connect readers to their community and to the wonders of the natural world. Our books are created for both adults and young readers.

Chalk Lily also offers a menu of editorial services, from project planning to editing and marketing. For more information, see the For Authors section.