Dinosaurs
For many of us the fascination with dinosaurs goes back to our early childhood. One of the biggest attractions surely is the fact that they are no longer here and that creatures so fantastic and so incredible could suddenly and dramatically disappear. What happened to them all those millions of years ago is still an unknown. The public watches as the scientists battle it out, theories fly to and fro, and the mystery remains, as yet, still a mystery.
What is truly remarkable is the way in which paleontologists have been able to piece together so much information when they really have so little material to work with. It is believed that we have found only a small percentage of the total number of dinosaur species that existed. We have unearthed a thigh bone here, a skull, a tooth there. Often no more than half an animal of a single species defines it. And yet, with the patience that surely deserves half a dozen medals, these scientists and enthusiasts pick away at rock, peer down microscopes, trudge for miles in the baking heat, and come up with the most wonderful ideas and deductions. Due to their persistence and perseverance they have found eggs, nests, babies hatching from eggs, a dinosaur heart, dinosaur "poop", footprints, and all sorts of other treasures which they have used piece together the history, physiology, and even the behavior of the animals to which they belonged.
Nowadays we have the wonders of the computer age at our command; technology which would no doubt would have made the mouths of those early "Fossil Hunters" water if they could only have used it. In a very real sense we can now bring the dinosaurs to life on a computer screen, programming in equations and statistics taken from the data found in the fossil records.
In the books selected below we have chosen to highlight some of the best dinosaur books available. What we have looked for are books that show how complex and advanced dinosaurs were. They inhabited all the major regions on the earth and adapted to many different environments. We have tried to find the books which discuss the new theories and ideas and which have the enthusiasm and eagerness which surely was what drove the very first fossil hunters to ask the questions: "Why?" "How?" and, "I want to know more."
Contributor: Marya Jansen-Gruber
Book Reviewer and Writer
mjansengruber@mindspring.com
Reviews
Baryonyx and Other Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wright Digs in England
Dougal Dixon
Illustrated by Steve Weston & James Field
Dinosaur specialist Dougal Dixon details the lives of dinosaurs that once existed on the Isle of Wight. The eight dinosaurs studied here lived in the swampy land on the Isle, located just off the southern coast of England. For each dinosaur examined, Dougal presents information about such topics as physical characteristics, what each ate, how each hunted, and what each had in common with modern animals. The thick-skulled Yaverlandia is compared to a modern deer, as both animals use their heads as a ram to push with when fighting. The dinosaurs presented include the fish-eating Baryonyx; the small Hypsilophodon, whose physique was built for running; and the Iguanadon, whose thumbs were spiked. Dougal also compares each dinosaur’s size to either a chicken, adult human, or elephant to help readers more clearly envision the dinosaur. Each title of the series includes a table of contents, glossary, an index, a pronunciation guide, suggested further reading, and instructions for using the publisher’s FactHound website to find safe websites related to the title’s topics. The illustrated action scenes, like that of a heard of Pelorosaurus churning up insects in the mud, are enhanced by captions fully explaining the picture (in this case, informing the reader that smaller dinosaurs would follow and eat the insects). The large print and mix of expansive, realistic illustrations and photographs make for a visually appealing and useful resource. Students looking for information about a specific dinosaur would get the best use out of this series, as each book presents almost too much information to easily ingest when taken as a whole, especially for readers at the younger end of the suggested age spectrum. 2009, Capstone Press/Picture Window Books, $25.26. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Amanda MacGregor (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781404847194
Born to Be Giants: How Baby Dinosaurs Grew to Rule the World
Lita Judge
The author uses colorful, detailed cartoon images on every page, explaining what researchers have found as evidence for many dinosaur types, giving their correct names and speculating on how the babies survived, to create an excellent scientific study of dinosaur fossils that illustrates what they can tell about existing species today. The newly hatched creatures were not very large, and Judge offers compelling reasons as to how each species may have protected or fostered their young. References to some of the predators the babies encountered help young readers put the information into a clear context. The author makes a strong case for which species may actually have survived to evolve into some of today's existing birds and lizards and in simple language, clarifies the correct scientific terms young readers will meet in the text. For example, she writes, "Most bird species today are altricial. Their babies are helpless when they hatch, with wobbly, undeveloped legs and weak necks. The hatchlings must stay in the nest until they grow stronger and older. It is likely that Maiasaura were altricial—like robins today." There is a time line at the end showing the three geological ages covered in the book (Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods), along with each dinosaur's name, pronunciation, and a brief additional paragraph about when it lived and where. A glossary, bibliography, author's note, and acknowledgements offer additional information for avid readers, parents, and teachers. 2010, Flashpoint/Roaring Brook Press, Ages 7 to 10, $17.99. Reviewer: Dawna Lisa Buchanan (Children’s Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-59643-443-1
Buying, Training, and Caring for Your Dinosaur
Laura Joy Rennert
Illustrated by Marc Brown
This charming and wonderfully illustrated picture book is a great addition to any school or home library. Dinosaurs as a subject are always popular, and this book, with its humorous definitions of the various dinos: “Diplodocus: If bigger is better, then get a Diplodocus. Other kids have lemonade stands, with Diplo, you can have your own roller coaster. Right in the front yard. Of the whole neighborhood.” The great illustrations that are integral to making the text even more meaningful are definitely successful. From the beginning “guide” to which dinosaur to buy to specific suggestions for what one needs to make the dino comfortable in its new home, how to teach them to sit--but only after checking to make sure that nothing is under the dinosaur when it actually accomplishes sitting--stay, eat, fetch, and roller over, this text is simply fun, fun, fun. You have to love a book that tells you to “HUG your dino (okay…part of your dino) every day.” This is a wonderfully amusing text that will inspire any young reader’s imagination. 2009, Borzoi Books/Random House, $16.99. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780375836794
Chalk
Bill Thomson
On a rainy day, three youngsters have an exciting wordless fantasy adventure in the park. At the entrance they find a bag of colored chalk held in the jaws of a dinosaur statue. The thoughtful African American girl draws a sun with yellow chalk. On the next double pages, they are dazzled by the emerging sunshine. The dark-haired girl smiles as she draws butterflies that come to life and fly away. When the young boy draws a dinosaur, however, a shadow looms and they see that they are in trouble. After a frightening chase, the clever boy draws rain clouds to wash away the chalk, and the beast. The children then leave the bag of chalk behind for the next adventurers to find. The almost photographically real illustrations are created with acrylic paints and colored pencils. Thomson uses odd angles, scary close-ups, and occasional separate framed close-ups for varied design. The speculation about what the next children who find the chalk will do adds zest to the story. 2010, Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books, $15.99. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780761455264
Dino-baseball
Lisa Wheeler
Illustrated by Barry Gott
What more could a little kid want than a book that includes sports playing dinosaurs? This time the dinos are playing baseball. And it is a close game, with fine pitching, good hitting, and an angry team manager who gets thrown out of the game. The story is told in rhyme and the illustrations, though cartoonish, give a feel for what the different dinosaurs look like. The vegetarian animals are on the Green Sox team and the meat eaters are on the Rib-Eye Reds team. Fortunately, they do not try to eat the Green Sox. The game starts out as a pitchers’ duel, but after the Green Sox’ manager is thrown out of the game, his team begins to hit the ball. They are up 3 to zip, but Reds come steaming back and take the lead 3 to 4. By the bottom of the ninth, the Sox have tied the game up. It is up to Apatosaur to win the game for them. Strike one, then two, before old Apty smacks the ball over the wall. I think the readers will enjoy the game. When they are not playing baseball, the dinos play other sports: soccer, hockey, and basketball. 2010, CarolRhoda Books/Lerner Publishing Group, $16.95. Ages 3 to 8. Reviewer: Sarah Maury Swan (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780761344292
Dinosaur Mountain: Digging into the Jurassic Age
Deborah Kogan Ray
Notes on the Bone Wars, the more than twenty-year-old race to find further dinosaur bones after the discovery of some in 1877 in Colorado, introduce this account of the life and discoveries of Earl Douglas, “one of the most prolific and successful dinosaur hunters of his time.” When wealthy Andrew Carnegie demands “something big” for a new hall in his Pittsburgh Natural History Museum, Douglas is sent to find it. After studying topographic maps, geological surveys, and rock strata, Douglas explores Utah in 1908, at first finding only other fossils. Then, searching with William Holland, Douglas finds a bone that means “something big” is in the area. The following year he finally finds an Apatosaurus skeleton. His difficult search becomes his life work. Through his efforts, the area is declared Dinosaur National Monument. The double-page, stark black drawing of a dinosaur skeleton that confronts us as we open the book sets an emotional note while demonstrating the approach Ray uses in this informative history. She combines full-page opaque paintings of the bone hunters at work with many vignettes showing details of the tools and processes used to extract the fossils safely, ship them to museums, and display them for a curious public. There is a romantic quality to her naturalistic illustrations that almost ignores the tedious work she details. Along with many sidebar notes, there are also a list, with sketches of the dinosaurs found in the National Monument, detailed maps, additional factual notes, a glossary, and a bibliography. 2010, Frances Foster Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, $16.99. Ages 8 to 11. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780374317898
ISBN: 0374317895
Dinosaur Scientist: Careers Digging Up the Past
Thom Holmes
After an introduction that compares paleoanthropology to a detective story, six chapters feature dinosaurs finds in Mongolia, the ocean, Argentina, Africa, Madagascar, and the Canadian Arctic through the eyes of well-known paleoanthropologists. A seventh chapter provides information for students interested in a paleontology career. The vivid text will draw students in; for example, “Imagine a life that requires you to travel to faraway and remote places every year: to camp in the wilderness, sample foreign cultures, and fight the elements of nature while discovering traces of long-extinct life” (p. eleven). Despite the twelfth grade reading level, most students interested in the subject would probably be able to handle the content-specific, multi-syllabic words (e.g., expedition, vertebrates). The author gives an excellent explanation of how fossils are formed and details the pros and cons of expeditions in unexplored terrain. The hardships and fellowship, the griminess and glory, the routine challenges and surprise discoveries are described. Chapter notes, glossary, further reading and Internet addresses, and an index round out back matter. Colored photos and sidebars, lots of white space, and dark serif font combine to present a readable book; and the colorful simulated rubber-stamp look of page numbers and headings suggest a by-gone appearance that complements the topic. Highly recommended as a resource that readily fits into middle school science standards. 2010, Enslow Publishers, $31.93. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Mary Bowman-Kruhm, Ed.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780766030534
Dinosaur Starts School
Pamela Duncan Edwards
Illustrated by Deborah Allwright
Lots of books have been written about the first day of school jitters and Duncan has produced one of her own. In this story, our young protagonist has a dinosaur friend (real or imagined) and he is the one who tells his big friend that there is nothing to fear about heading off to school. The opening spread with the big dinosaur hiding his head under a pillow sets the stage for this tongue in cheek lesson. Off they go to school because schools help you grow up to be smart. They will not get lost at school, painting can be fun, and lunch can be intimidating--especially if you do not like what is on the menu. Even if you are shy, another classmate may ask you to play and then you can have a glorious time on the swings, seesaw, in the sandbox, and playing tag. It is all such fun that both the young boy and the dinosaur will be back the next day. Loosely drawn illustrations convey the humor, and the big size of the dinosaur leads to even more smiles (what could ever frighten someone so large?). The book could be used for those heading off to preschool or kindergarten. 2008, Albert Whitman, $16.99. Ages 3 to 5. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0807516003
Dinosaurs?!
Lila Prap
“Amazing news,” reports one chicken to the others as this book begins. Dinosaurs are supposed to be the chickens’ ancestors. Across each double page we see a statement about a framed picture of a particular dinosaur. Around the edges, in notes and speech balloons of the chickens, are factual notes and humorous questions. Fourteen dinosaurs and flying reptiles are included, from the well-known Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops to the less familiar Elasmosaurus and Archaeopteryx. All are reviewed on the end pages with their dates. Along with wisecracks, the chicken comments move us along to the conclusion of one: “From now on my name is Chickesaurus Rex!” The bold humor is interpreted in illustrations with thick black outlines and intense colors. These are naturalistic portraits, mainly side views, and each dinosaur appearing against a solid color background, with no attempt at landscape. The chickens and chicks in the borders contrast with the large animals, adding to the comedy along with the information. 2010 (orig. 2009), NorthSouth, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780735822849
Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar!
Bob Barner
You will find out what author Bob Barner and scientists believe happened to dinosaurs and why butterflies are still around in the pages of this book. Opinions vary as to what happened millions of years ago, but this book deserves attention because it is both interesting and unique. When you smell a flower, a dinosaur may have done the same thing millions of years ago. Butterflies have been around millions of years, although dinosaurs were here first. Millions of years ago, young dinosaurs had feathers. You will never believe how large birds were that flew through the sky or how big their eggs were. Dinosaurs were the first animals on the planet. They were the first farmers--not by design, but by lifestyle. You will learn when butterflies and other insects started inhabiting the planet. The world was beautiful, and insects made it possible for large animals to have enough to eat. Animals change or die out. Several theories for why dinosaurs became extinct are explained. The planet continued to support smaller animals and plant life. Much can be learned from reading this attractive, unpaged book. The author also illustrated this book, with colorful collages. Chronicle Books published three other books by Bob Barner. 2009, Chronicle Books, $16.99. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Jennie DeGenaro (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780811856638
Global Warming and the Dinosaurs: Fossil Discoveries at the Poles
Caroline Arnold
Illustrated by Laurie Caple
Beautiful watercolor paintings of dinosaurs and their surprising habitats fill the pages of this unique book, which discusses the geologic evidence of dinosaurs in the polar regions of the earth. Descriptions of the different dinosaurs, their characteristics, and their assumed diet accompany the art. This book also explains the importance of ancient dinosaur footprints, which provide us with clues to which animals traveled where, if they were in herds, and other details of that nature. While global warming and the continental shifts are discussed in the early chapters and in the last chapter, the main body of the book is about the specific dinosaurs that have been traced to the polar regions. The title is a bit misleading because it is not necessarily about global warming, but that should not keep one from reading this book, which is full of amazing facts and images. It is also well-organized; it is divided into chapters based on present political boundaries. This book includes a table of contents, an index, and references to find more information about polar dinosaur fossils. 2009, Clarion Books, $17.00. Ages 11 to 14. Reviewer: Cherie Ilg Haas (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780618803385
The Handy Dinosaur Answer Book
Patricia Barnes-Svarney and Thomas E. Svarney
Illustrated by Laurie Caple
Most children share an interest in dinosaurs. Along with that come questions about dinosaurs. Well, here are the answers in a text that will be accessible to advanced readers or parents of younger children. What are the oldest-known fossils? What were the teeth of a Tyrannosaurus rex like? The answers to these and many, many other questions can be found in these pages. But the book doesn’t stop there; it is a wide-ranging, ambitious text. Just consider the section headings: “Forming Fossils,” “Evolution of the Dinosaurs,” “Triassic Period,” “Jurassic Period,” “Cretaceous Period,” “Dinosaurs Inside and Out,” “Dinosaur Behavior,” “The End of Dinosaurs,” “Dinosaur Connections,” “Dinosaur Discoveries in North America,” “International Dinosaur Discoveries,” and “Learning More About Dinosaurs.” Readers will appreciate the book’s thorough index, as well as the topic-specific and audience-specific lists of books it provides. For the true dinosaur aficionados, guidance is given about paleontology as a career path. This is an exceptional resource on an engaging topic. 2010, Visible Ink Press, $21.95. Ages 10 to adult. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781578592180
ISBN: 1578592186
Happy Birthday, Danny and the Dinosaur
Syd Hoff
It is Danny’s birthday and he is on his way to the museum to invite his friend the dinosaur to his birthday party. When the dinosaur accepts the invitation, Danny rides the dinosaur back to his house. Danny’s parents are decorating the house with balloons and streamers and the dinosaur is able to help because the children can ride on his long neck to hang balloons from the ceiling. When Danny’s mother hands out birthday hats, the dinosaur proudly puts his own. When Danny’s parents pass out ice cream to all the guests, they have to give a whole bucket of ice cream to the dinosaur. And when the cake comes out with candles burning, Danny has to remind the dinosaur that they must first make a wish before they can blow out the candles. Danny and the dinosaur make the same wish that they can be together next year for Danny’s birthday. This “I Can Read” title, with accompanying CD, is a delightful story for the preschool and kindergarten crowd. As these young readers are just beginning to read for themselves, the CD reading along with them and the use of simple sentences of less than twenty words defers discouragement. Audio signals are given to let readers know when to turn the page and there is an additional track providing uninterrupted reading. 2010, HarperTrophy/HarperCollins, $9.99. Ages 5 to 7. Reviewer: Joyce Rice (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780061335396
Inside-Outside Dinosaurs
Roxie Munro
Dinosaur lovers from three to ninety-three will happily pore over Munro’s celebration of dinosaurs. In each spread, the text is limited to a labels of the featured dinosaur’s name. The official name appears in giant red letters at the top left corner, while the English-language meaning appears in smaller black letters in the lower right corner. For example, the first spread introduces us to Brachiosaurus, explained as “armed lizard.” Spreading over the two pages is a drawing of that dinosaur’s skeleton. The next page spread shows the fleshed-out version in a picture that includes other dinosaurs and creatures that lived during the same time period. At the end of the book, Munro provides a key with a nice snippet of information about the featured dinosaur as well as a color code that labels the other dinosaurs in the spread. This flexible format allows the “expert” readers to have all the fun of showing off their ability to name attributes and companions of the major dinosaurs while providing a way to check themselves. This should be a hot item in museum bookstores as well as in school and classroom libraries. 2009, Marshall Cavendish, $17.99. Ages 4 to 7. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780761456247
ISBN: 0761456244
The Kingfisher Dinosaur Encyclopedia
Mike Benton
Dinosaurs--they're back! The tall and small, the fierce and motherly, those with horned tanks and armored bodies, and those with feathers and scales. Before leaving their bones among the rocks, they occupied the land, sea, swamp, and forest. Dinosaurs dominated much of the land mass of the day, and their remains can be found in Africa, China, Argentina, the United States, and Europe. Dinosaurs illustrate a wide variety of adaptations and encompass a most-fascinating cacophony of creatures. They remain fodder for our imagination, yet sometimes sifting through the facts proves more fascinating. This all-encompassing dinosaur encyclopedia contains many unique and fascinating dinosaur facts. Each and every chapter is a page turner as the book travels through time from the rise of the very first dinosaurs to the behemoths of the Jurassic Period. The chapters follow a changing world and include little-known details essential to telling the complete story, from the first to the last dinosaur. The information and illustrations will pull readers into a lost world. Diverse and in charge of their world, dinosaurs lived; yet in the blink of an eye, their lives ended as they became extinct at the same time. A cataclysmic event ended their reign even as it gave rise to ours. Grades 3-7. 2010, Kingfisher Books, 160p, $19.99. Ages 8 to 13. Reviewer: Teri Cosentino (National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)).
ISBN: 9780753464403
Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt
David Catrow
Despite his floppy spaniel ears, Max insists he is not a dog; he is a hunter, on the trail of dinosaurs. After searching through his delightfully cluttered house (note, for instance, the fully dressed hot dog perched on the toy train engine) for just the right equipment to take along, Max heads outside to his yard to find material to construct his dinosaur. “I spy an eye,” he says, holding up a bottle cap, and he uses other found objects--a rake, a football, a tricycle and more--to assemble a towering, gangly creature that satisfyingly strikes fear into the heart of the previously scoffing cat. This first book in a projected series about Max is also the first book that Catrow, a children’s book illustrator, has both written and illustrated, and it is a real treat. His colorful, exuberant illustrations (a bit reminiscent of Stephen Kellogg’s work) are filled with clever details and humor, and the words add to the fun: “Here are two lips,” Max puns, holding a tulip in his mouth. The creativity and lively spirit of both Catrow and Max’s creations will be greatly appreciated by beginning readers. 2009, Orchard Books/Scholastic, $6.95. Ages 3 to 7. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780545057486
ISBN: 9780545116862
The Super Hungry Dinosaur
Martin Waddell
Illustrated by Leonie Lord
What would you do with a ravenous dinosaur that comes crashing through the fence wanting to eat you? Hal, the boy in the story, begins by telling the dinosaur how it isn’t fair to eat small children; however, the hungry dinosaur declares that it will eat the members of Hal’s family including the pet dog, Billy. Despite Hal’s explanations, the dinosaur gives chase as he tries to capture and devour Hal. With Billy’s help, Hal ties up and captures the dinosaur. The animal surrenders and makes amends to the damages made during the chase. Nonetheless, the dinosaur is still hungry. Hal’s mother cooks up a solution and later, the satiated dinosaur leaves. The illustrations work with and move the story forward providing additional context information to the plot. The endpapers, designed with green dinosaur scales, set up the arrival and departure of the dinosaur. The final illustration in the story provides a possible twist to the story for conversation; Billy, the dog has a familiar looking dinosaur at the end.2009, Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin, Ages 3 to 8, $16.99. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung (Children’s Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3446-3
What About...Dinosaurs?
Rupert Matthews
Dinosaurs have long been a topic that appeals to children, both young and old. The format of this book is unlike traditional dinosaur books. Every paragraph has a heading that is posed as an interesting question. The reader can read each chapter from beginning to end or read the question and decide whether to read the answer. For example, the chapter on hadrosaurs contains headings such as why were hadrosaurs special, did all hadrosaurs have crests, why are hadrosaurs called “duck-bills,” how did hadrosaurs care for their young, and how did hadrosaurs build their nests? In addition, each page contains several illustrations of the various dinosaurs, and there are even some illustrations of their fossilized footprints, eggs, or bones. The beginning chapters explain what a dinosaur was, what life was like before dinosaurs, and the first dinosaurs. The following chapters discuss the various types of dinosaurs, and the final chapter surmises their demise. The format of this interesting book will attract many children, even those few who previously may have had little interest in dinosaurs. It is part of the “What About . . .” series. 2009 (orig. 2005), Mason Crest Publishers, $19.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Denise Daley (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781422215586
Added 9/2/10
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