National Geographic Dinosaurs

A lavishly illustrated reference traces the discovery of all types of dinosaurs; reveals the latest information about these fascinating creatures; provides the latest scientific thoughts, theories, and discoveries; contains a wealth of charts, maps, paintings, and photographs; and more. Teacher's Guide available. 25,000 first printing.

Gr 5-9-This overview includes nearly 200 pages of well-organized, attractively presented information. The opening chapters offer a chronology of the age of dinosaurs, a brief history of key discoveries, and lots of information about the creatures' habits and characteristics in general. The heart of the book is the 50 or so profiles of individual dinosaur genera, divided into the two major groups (bird-hipped and lizard-hipped). Each one includes size, location, and era, as well as basic information and intriguing facts. While not a comprehensive dictionary of species, the entries offer a wealth of information. The attractive layout makes this a good resource for both browsing and for more in-depth research. The uncluttered "profiles" feature one main illustration of the dinosaur, along with a few smaller captioned illustrations. A time line, fact file, and map for each species appears consistently on the edge of the page. Interspersed among the introductory chapters and profiles are over a dozen dramatic, full-page and two-page scenes, vividly capturing selected species in action. Several recent discoveries are mentioned, and current theories are clearly distinguished from accepted fact in such areas as classification, evolutionary factors, and behaviors. Though not quite as visually exciting as David Lambert's DK Guide to Dinosaurs (DK, 2000) or as comprehensive as Douglas Dixon's The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures (S & S, 2001), this title fills a need for reference materials for older students.

Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

aul Barrett's National Geographic Dinosaurs, illus. by Raul Mart¡n, catalogues more than 50 of the "terrible lizards." A "time bar" running along the outside of the page indicates the period for each particular dinosaur; a "Fact File" provides the animal's genus, classification, weight and measurements; and a graph compares the dino's size to humans. Other sections focus on the Mesozoic through the Cretaceous period, paleontology and dinosaur behavior. Over 300 full-color photographs and 90 photorealistic illustrations add dimension.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 6-10. In this lushly illustrated, comprehensive text, Barrett provides an overview of just about anything young readers might need on the subject of dinosaurs. He defines the species; moves step-by-step through the stages of their existence; describes how archeologists dig, dress, and prepare their finds for exhibit; and relates how dinosaurs lived and moved. And that's just in the first 60 pages. The remainder of the book takes a closer look at individual species, introducing something unusual about each. Illustrations, maps, and fact boxes will make comparisons easy. A colorful sidebar thermostat highlights the span of time the species lived. Back matter considers theories about dinosaur extinction and takes a look at how dinosaurs have been portrayed in motion pictures. Buy this in multiple copies--if budget permits--for reference and circulation. Roger Leslie
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