If Dinosaurs Lived in My Town

PreS-K—What would your hometown be like if dinosaurs had not gone extinct? Combining modern photography with colorful, semi-realistic artwork, Plumridge and Eggleton provide some interesting possibilities. A Corythosaurus ("big enough to stop traffic") could be a school crossing-guard, a speedy Ornithomimus would be perfect for the track team, and a "very gentle" Maiasaura might be a splendid babysitter. (And then there is that leashed T-rex creating the need for a huge pooper-scooper!) Each facing page spread contains a "Dinosaur Factprint!" box containing a pronunciation guide and some pertinent data on the dino depicted. A small carp here-four of the inclusions were not dinosaurs–Rhamphoryncus, Peteinosaurus and Pteranodon were all Pterosaurs, and Liopleurodon was a Pliosaur (whose exact size is a matter of scientific controversy). Appended is a list of references, for those looking for "more, please!" Eye-catching and fun (if more than a tad far-fetched), this is a evolutionary improvement on Bernard Most's very golden-oldie If the Dinosaurs Came Back (Harcourt 1978) and will have imaginative kids conjuring up their own ideas, and inspiring them to hit the shelves for scientific works as well.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY