Book of Dinosaurs: 10 Record-Breaking Prehistoric Animals

Gr 3-4–This introduction to 10 dinosaurs will interest young readers who enjoy guessing games. Balkan’s presentation consists of two spreads per dinosaur. A series of clues are offered in a conversational style by the dinosaur. The dinosaur tells about itself, such as its special features, size, diet, time period, and location. Then Brewster provides a drawing of its skeleton. Before the next page, readers can try to guess the dinosaur, revealed on the next page. Most in the mix are not well known, such as the Kentosaurus, who reports the intriguing fact that it “sometimes blushed to attract a mate. This sent a rush of blood to the end of my plates and changed their color.” As a result of how this text is organized, readers easily add to their knowledge. Altogether, this is a fun read to provoke more interest in the subject. Back matter consists of information about dinosaur relatives, related birds still alive today, a letter from the author, and further reading.