Trapped in the Tar Pit: How Paleontologists Unearthed a City's Prehistoric Past -- Jessica Stremer, Hardcover

Dig down, down, down into the history of an ancient tar pit in this fascinating nonfiction picture book about one of the most exciting fossil discoveries of the modern day!

Thousands of years ago, ancient animals roamed the Earth, unaware there was a lot of sticky tar hidden deep beneath their feet...until one day, an earthquake caused it to seep up to the surface. When unsuspecting animals stepped into the tar, they got stuck!

Centuries later, in the early 1900s, people started exploring the tar pit and found more bones the deeper they dug. Eventually, scientists realized the bones weren't just any old bones but perfectly preserved fossils of ancient animals, just waiting to be dug up and puzzled back together!

Uncover this true story of a miraculous scientific discovery in the most unexpected of places.

Author: Jessica Stremer
Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Published: 08/26/2025
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Size: 9.00h x 11.00w x 0.11d
ISBN: 9781665953177
Audience: Ages 9-12

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2025

About the Author
Jessica Stremer is a mom and military spouse with a bachelor's degree in biology. She combines her love of science and writing to create books that inspire kids to explore the world around them and beyond. She is the author of the nonfiction picture books Wonderfully Wild, Lights Out, and Trapped in the Tar Pit. When not writing, Jessica loves spending time with her family traveling, hiking, and camping.

Originally from New Mexico, Alexander Vidal studied cultural anthropology and spent time living in Africa and Asia before starting his career in illustration. Travel, exploration, and a love of animals and wild spaces continue to drive the themes of his work. He is the illustrator of the board book So Many Feet; nonfiction family activity book I Love Birds!: 52 Ways to Wonder, Wander, and Explore Birds with Kids; and picture books Cougar Crossing!, Just You and Me, The Bone Wars, and Trapped in the Tar Pit. He is a graduate of ArtCenter College of Design and lives in Los Angeles.