Beasts From Before the Dinosaurs: Extraordinary forgotten creatures from 250 million years ago

Lerwill, Ben

ISBN 10: 1836009461 / ISBN 13: 9781836009467

Published by words & pictures, 2026

2026. hardcover. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9781836009467

Synopsis:

Travel back more than a quarter of a billion years to a time long before the dinosaurs...
 
There was a time when there was no grass, or birdsong, or flowers. When no Stegosaurus or T. rex had ever walked the Earth, and no Pterodactylus had ever flown through the sky. Sounds quiet, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t. It was CRAWLING with life. The world looked very, very different then—and the animals did, too. So, grab your binoculars, tread quietly, and let’s head back to the dim and distant past.

In Beast from Before the Dinosaurs we meet over 20 strange, forgotten animals that ruled the land and seas during the Permian Period. For example, discover:

• The Meganeura, a super-sized flying insect that was bigger than a hawk,
• The Eryops, a carnivorous frog the size of a gorilla,
• The Lystrosaurus, a strange tusked creature that wouldn't look out of place in a Star Wars film...
• ...and many, many more!

Complete with incredible full-color illustrations that bring this prehistoric world to life.  
 
The perfect gift for a dino-mad child who's already read ALL the dinosaur books, Beasts from Before the Dinosaurs uncovers a hidden chapter in our planet’s history, sparking curiosity about Earth’s incredible past.

About the Author: Ben Lerwill is an award-winning travel writer and children's author based in Oxfordshire, England. Ben's writing has appeared in more than 50 national and international titles, including National Geographic Traveller, Wanderlust, Time Out, BBC Travel, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Independent, BBC Countryfile, and Rough Guides. His non-fiction children's books include One World Many Colours, WildLives, and Wild Cities. 

Gavin Scott grew up in rural Dorset, UK. He was fascinated by the natural world from an early age and spent much of his childhood drawing and painting animals and birds. He later studied BA Natural History Illustration at Bournemouth Arts University in the UK. Working as an illustrator in-house for a number of years, honing his skills in character design, his style gradually evolved from scientific into children’s picture books. He now lives in Somerset with his wife, who is also an illustrator, and their growing family. When he’s not working, he loves rock climbing on the Dorset coast, and riding and fettling his old Triumph motorbike.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Beasts From Before the Dinosaurs: ...
Publisher: words & pictures
Publication Date: 2026
Binding: Hardcover
Illustrator: Scott, Gavin
Condition: New