Book signing and Kid's Fun Day at GPDM in Malta

Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Field Station (GPDM) Paleontologist Cary Woodruff has penned his first children's book entitled "Beyond Dinosaurs! My First Book About Flying Creatures" and to celebrate the book's release and the children of Phillips County, the GPDM will be hosting a book signing and kid's day this Saturday, June 27 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Woodruff, who succeeded long-time GPDM paleontologist Sue Frary in 2016, said that he had always wanted to write children's books and the publisher of the book (Rockridge Press) found him and asked if he'd be interested. He submitted a writing sample, they offered him a two-book deal (the second book will be published at a later date) and Woodruff is now a published, children's author.

"It's kind of like a children's factbook for flying creatures," Woodruff said. "One of the things that were fun is there will be animals in this book that most people haven't seen."

Woodruff said that he started the project in January and turned it around very quickly. He said that many of his friends have penned books for Rockridge in the same series and the books will be released throughout the year including a book on general fossils and meat-eating dinosaurs.

"The writing process I used was to start my day with a pot of coffee and research," he said. "I'd work for an hour or two and just kept at it. There are no modern animals in the book, but we include a lot of extinct birds and there are some really neat extinct, non-flying birds."

The book signing and kid's day will feature activities for children ages three through sixth grade and will be COVID-19 conscious. Woodruff said that the books will be available, but the day will most resemble GPDM kid's days from years past since the Car Show has been canceled this year. There will be a fossil shark's teeth that children can excavate and keep, Dixie Stordahl will teach children how to make lava lamps and papercrafts, a dig pit and everything will be spaced inside and outside to practice social distancing.

"You will have the whole day to come in with your kids and participate at your leisure," Woodruff said.

A small fee of $1 per person will be the price of admission.

"It will be a fun day and we are excited about it," Woodruff said.