Book Description

Written and illustrated by the creators of the popular Dino Life Guides for Families, this book uses precise language and humorous illustrations to offer specific ways to be a friend and specific ways not to be one.A special section on how to deal with bosses and bullies has valuable information for young children going forth in the world and encountering these situations for the first time. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent book for Beginer Friends
My two boys love this book. Its a childs simplistic version of "How to be a Friend" and it is great. Right on their level and easy for them to relate to. The Arthur type characters are appealing to children and they make the book their choice for the evening and want me to read it again and again :) I have the hardback, it was a great find.

Great guide for all kids.
This book is an excellent tool for parents and teachers to use with kids in the often times daunting world of social relatedness. Even kids who are very social would enjoy the way these gentle reminders are presented. Highly recommended for the special needs arena of Aspberger's and High Functioning Autism. Our autistic son loved and responded well to the almost "social story" approach. This truly spelled out a lot of social do's and don't's for him. His typical sister loved it as well. As a parent I highly recommend this book be in every kindergarden and first grade and second grade classroom. I bought several copies. ... Read more

Book Description

Here's a hands-on introduction to dinosaurs that invites preschoolers through first graders to lift and peek under more than 70 flaps! Vividly realistic panoramas bring the extinct world of dinosaurs to life and show kids how and where dinosaurs lived, what they ate, how they bred, and how they fought. With cutaway close-ups of fascinating dinosaur features and intricate, diorama-like scenes, this is the most dynamic and information-packed Great Big Flap Book ever! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great first dinosaur book for preschoolers!
My son, who is almost 4, absolutely loves this book! It's a perfect "first book" about dinosaurs because it's interactive and the text is short and simple enough to hold the attention of this age group. My son especially loves lifting the flaps that show the dinosaur bones! The last two pages of the book are especially cool. The left-hand page has a cleverly designed series of flaps that let the child "discover" a dinosaur skeleton. The facing page features flaps with letters of the alphabet - when the child lifts them, they see a dinosaur whose name begins with that letter. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Everything about The Big Book of Dinosaurs is off thecharts--the size of the book itself, the elaborate two-page spreads, the color models, and even the oversized type. Children can experience the amazing powers of these prehistoric beasts--the jagged teeth of the ferocious meat eaters, the slashing claws of the Deinonychus, and the long-necked Barosaurus that could reach five-story-high treetops and may have had eight hearts. Yet, like the dinosaurs themselves, there is nothing threatening or intimidating about this highly informative book. The text is brief and succinct, only conveying facts that children find interesting. (There's even an index for quick searches offavorite dinos.) The lifelike illustrations give young readers a solid sense of what dinosaur fossils and skeletal systems look like as well as clear mental pictures of how these creatures appeared in "real-life" millions of years ago. (Ages 4 to 7) --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Everything your preschooler wants to know about dinosaurs
Just like dinosaurs themselves, this book is BIG -- big type, big format, big pictures. The kids will love it. What preschooler doesn't love dinosaurs? One trip to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City had my son, at age three and a half, talking a blue streak about stegosauruses, elasmosauruses, tyrannosauruses, and Heaven knows what else. "The Big Book of Dinosaurs" is organized into categories such as meat-eaters, boneheads (pachycephalosaurus and his ilk) and gargantuans such as brontosaurus. The double-page spreads with gorgeously illustrated dinosaurs are sure to hold a child's attention, and the text is succint and easy for them to understand. It's a great read-aloud book for the preschool to first grade set. There's a very good index at the end of the book with proper pronunciations of all the dinosaur names that will have your preschool paleontologist rattling them off like a pro. Highly recommended for all children between three and six.

A good first book but not for the very young...
This is a beautifully illustrated book with lots of great pictures. The pages include lots of facts about dinosaurs and show pictures of both very live looking dino's as well as their skeletons. It is a good book to continue a child's interest in the subject. The end of the book includes a index with name pronunciations (very handy!). Some of the pictures are a little "too realistic" for the younger set. All in all, a great starter book for my 5 year old's interest in dinosaurs. ... Read more

Amazon.com

From water "woodlice" as big as a platter to Diplocaulus withboomerang-shaped heads, from the colossal titanosaur to Neanderthal "cave people," the world of prehistoric animals is mind-boggling. Budding young paleontologists will find everything they need to know to begin their studies with Dorling Kindersley's impressive Dinosaur Encyclopedia and Dinosaur Hunter CD-ROM. Divided into four sections--Fish and Invertebrates, Amphibians and Reptiles, Dinosaurs and Birds, and Mammals and Their Ancestors--the thick volume describes just what kinds of critters have walked, swum, slithered, and flown the earth. Breathtaking photographs, realistic models, and full-page reconstructions of prehistoric environments allow the reader to enter the mysterious landscapes of these ancient behemoths, while comprehensive and easy-to-use text explores how animals evolved, how scientists find and use fossils, and when, where, and how various creatures lived and died. A timeline bar enables readers to determine the geological era in which a given animal lived, fact boxes provide a quick profile of the main creature featured in each animal entry, and a large reference section provides a fossil timeline, paleontological processes, biographies of leading scientists, and tips for the amateur fossil hunter. Wow! All this, and fun to read, too! (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

in the words of evan my 7 yr old
"BRILLIANT"......

EVERY THING ABOUT THIS HE LOVED...
DETAIL,PICTURES,INFORMATION..

I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY 7YR OLD. REALLY A VERY GOOD BOOK
FOR ANY CHILD INTERESTED IN DINOSAURS

EXCELLENT BOOK , THIS IS OUR SEC. COPY DUE TO FIRE
Our son got this book for his ninth Birthday after showing a steady interest in Dinosaur's since he was old enough to play with toy dinosaur's. He had already memorized all their names and habits etc... but this book has taught him so much more, he is always coming up to his mother and I telling us somehing new he learned about them. On his tenth Birthday Nov 1st of 2002, our house burnt down and his first posession that he asked about was if his Dinosaur book is ok, alone with it's CD-ROM. Unfortunatly, it didn't make it. I'm visiting this site today to looking at the price in order save up to replace it for him, as my wife is a house-mom, and I got laid off of work three weeks before his birthday/the fire. I will be back to buy it again maybe sometime in febuary.

Misleading Title!!
The title of this book is misleading, I was expecting hundreds of pages on dinosaurs but that's not what I got!! Nevertheless it has good information on the prehistoric life and evolution of : Fish and invertebrates,amphibians and reptiles,dinosaurs and birds and mammals and their ancestors. The reference section in itself is almost half the book; among other things it includes a geological time chart, biographies of geologists and a good glossary. I really do think that this book should have a different title.

quiet informative , full of pics
this is a great book , especially for beginners to start to learn , it has alot of facts and alot of pictures . this is not a dinosaur book however , it doesent have alot of words , except for words under the pictures . this book is very informative , and a great way to get started to learn . this book helped me greatly in a earth science paper , got a 93 . this book is highly recommended for the beginner , or if your just intrested in learning about the mythic creatures. ... Read more

Book Description

In art quality and detailed information on these mysterious beasts, this book rivals that of any secular source. However, the strong Biblical theme makes it unique among dinosaur resource books. Offers plausible explanations for believing that man walked with dinosaurs. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Five stars plus!
Are you looking for a book that will present the solid facts on dinosaurs on a level anyone can understand? Look no further! Adults and children alike love this book. It's a book that will be used again and again.

Wonderful dinosaur book for children!
We really enjoyed this book about dinosaurs from the creationistic point of view. It gives credible answers to all the questions children have about how dinosaurs fit in from a biblical viewpoint. Even as an adult reading this book I had many of the secular evolutionary ideas I grew up on challenged. It will enhance your faith in God to realize that there are credible creationistic theories in response to secular evolution!

Great book about dinosaurs!
This is a great book for kids and adults alike who would like to learn more about dinosaurs. Though I would think that it would be better for young children. Adults who would like to learn the truth about dinosaurs should see The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved! by Ken Ham. All in all a great book!

Just Plain Awful
There is nothing more annoying than people who obfuscate the truth in the name of God. Gish's book is the same old, same old in terms of the usual outdated creationist silliness about dinosaurs and Noah's flood, but what I find especially funny is that Gish can't even get the skeletal reconstructions right. Many modern finds have allowed the work of 19th century collectors to be refined, but Gish doesn't even bother to take note of any paleontological work done in even the 20th century in showing the kids what the complete skeletons look like! For example, his Stegosaurus is copied right out of works now over 100 years old and completely omits major elements of their anatomy known for at least the last 75 years! Such things aren't a political or religious question -- they are simply a matter of showing kids what has been found. The fact that Gish would be so incredibly sloppy so often makes it all the more obvious that he has no interest in presenting kids with facts, but instead is just using pretty pictures of dinosaurs to send religious propaganda. Don't kids at least deserve to be shown the real evidence? Instead of wasting money on this drivel, look for kids books on dinosaurs by such publishers as National Geographic that keep up with the REAL science and present it in an understandable format for kids.

Ignorance is Bliss
Well, if you want your children growing up ignorant, this book is for you. The book tries to push itself off as a children's book, but it is really a subtle attempt to push off the most narrow-minded kind of creationist thinking on children. ... Read more

Book Description

Scholastic Dinosaurs A to Z presents an enormous amount of dinosaur information for budding paleontologists and amateur fossil hunters. Arranged alphabetically, this book contains more than 700 entries of every creature that has scientifically been deemed a dinosaur as well as those that are commonly mistaken for dinosaurs. This easy-to-navigate organization allows readers of all ages to glean as much or as little information about each animal as they need. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Troodon. Suchomimus. Carcharodontosaurus. No, these are not rare diseases but rather the names of just a few of the fantastic creatures called dinosaurs that roamed the earth hundreds of millions of years ago. This oversized, full-color picture book approaches the subject with a flair. Artists from around the world painted over 75 illustrations of these diverse creatures, sometimes offering varying perspectives on what the dinosaurs might have looked like. Each painting presents the very latest scientific views on their appearance, but the text emphasizes that no one knows for sure what they looked like, beyond what can be pieced together from fossils. Dinosaurs may even have been brightly colored, like their relatives, lizards and birds.

Authors Howard Zimmerman and George Olshevsky chose to divide the book according to dinosaur size and speed, eating habits, and appearance. Scientifically accurate and up-to-date, the text provides the kind of information dinosaur fans really want to know. Discover the strangest looking dinosaurs (including Therizinosaurus, with its two-and-a-half-foot-long curved claws and broad-billed toothless beak), the largest (at up to 170 feet tall, the "earthshaking lizard"Seismosaurus is aptly named), and the deadliest (the smart, speedy, saw-toothed Velociraptor was one dinosaur you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley). This book has 'em all, from the Triassic to the Jurassic to the Cretaceous periods. (Ages 7 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Dinosaurs! The Biggest, Baddest, Strangest, and Fastest
Dinosaurs! The Biggest, Baddest, Strangest, and Fastest written by Howard Zimmerman is a short, but fully illustrated book of some very unusual dinosaurs. Just as in the title of the book you will find some different looking dinosaurs, and these dinosaurs were found all over the earth's surface.

Your favorite monsters of the Mesozic are accounted for here. Some seventy-five beautiful illustrations are found in this book. I would rate this book not only for children who have a fascination for dinosaurs, but also adults. There is information reguarding some of the species that wasn't out when I first got interested in dinosauria.

For instance, some the the dinosaurs weithed more than a dozen African elephants, a dinosaur that had claw nearly 3 feet in length, dinosaurs that could run faster than an ostrich, some as small as cats, and of course the famous foot claw of the raptors.

There is a pronunciation guide in this book to help the younger reader to master the dinosaur names. Informantion found about the dinosaurs comes for finds in China, Africa and South America where you'll find a meat-eating dinosaur larger than T.rex.

There is information about each of the dinosaur family, that is the period and area in which they lives, eating habits, peculiar attributes. Also found near the end of the book there is a listings on the World Wide Web for those with computers to follow up on the dinosaurs.

This is a short book, but the information is top notch. If you child like dinosaurs this would be an excellent choice.

Wow!
My son loves this book. Great illustrations, lots of cool facts. I think that it is maybe a 4th grade to eighth grade reading level, not 4 yr to 8yr level. It is a little advanced for your average four year old.

Not quite 5 stars
This book is great. The illustriations are remarkable and realistic. The reason it didn't get five stars is because it does not list the Spinosaurus. Which is my 4 year old's favorite. Buy it and enjoy

It`s Incredible!
I am normally interested in bigger,more fact-covering dinosaur books. But here I make an exception. This oversized,full-colour artbook is amazing!It covers all the most extreme dinosaurs and some others too. Finally,we have an updated dinosaur records book. I can give a presentation of it here : the first chapter covers the biggest sauropods (Brachiosaurus and Seismosaurus) and the second chapter has the biggest meat-eaters (T-rex and Giganotosaurus).The third has the raptors,as it treats the most dangerous dinos,and the fourth chapter covers the strangest,such as the 3-foot clawed Therizinosaur and the crested Parasaurolophus. The fourth one covers the spiky armored ones and the next covers the fastest,like Struthiomimus. The last two covers the first dinosaus discovered and the latest ones,like Iguanodon and Cryolophosaurus. The paintings are so inspiring and beautifull that they cannot be described in words. It really gives me inspiration to my own drawings and I imagine the pictures and video caps from a movie screen from a film I wish existed and I would create. I am surprised the price was so low. Normally,I can expect a price of [...] or more. It is now your decision to chose if you want to spend [...] for Dinosaur Imagery or just [...] for this!I have done mine. I get a lot of inspiration and save a lot of money. It is definitly worth the price,only for the paintings.

Ar Last! Scientific Accuracy!
It's great to finally have a beautiful oversized book on dinosaurs that is up-to-the-minute with the latest paleontoligical information on these ancient beasts. The art and the text will both be enlightening for children and adults who are real dinophiles. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (4)

A 7-star blast (extra stars for innovation and illustration)
The dustjacket of "How to Keep Dinosaurs" gives the reader a great and accurate preview of the book: the front shows an intelligent, fun-loving little compsognathus chasing a tennis ball, with a food-dish labeled "Dino" on the floor; the back shows a rowdy, beautifully-feathered incisivosaurus having a pillow-fight with a little girl, with the pillow clearly on the way to Pillow Heaven afterward.

Robert Mash's "How to Keep Dinosaurs" is the hilarious, tongue-in-cheek, definitive guide to breeding, raising, feeding, housing, training, and optimally utilizing different breeds of dinosaurs. Along the way, Mash pokes fun at political correctness, Americans, British, politicians, talkshow hosts, and a variety of other concepts, people, and professions. The book starts with an introduction describing the history of human-dinosaur interactions, then moves on to suggest the kinds of equipment dinosaur owners will find handy. Following this are sections on dinosaurs for beginners; dinosaurs that make good house-pets; dinosaurs that have entertainment value (e.g., riding); dinosaurs that are good as guard-animals and in related security/law enforcement areas; dinosaurs that are prime candidates to be raised for meat, eggs, feathers, or hides; and, finally, dinosaurs that are spectacular but only suitable for zoos or safari parks. At the end, there is a brief list of common dinosaur ailments (e.g., many are prone to extreme flatulence and/or constipation), and a family tree showing how the dinosaurs described in the book fit into the overall taxonomy.

Each animal listed is accompanied by a beautiful, full-color "photograph" that often shows the beast interacting with a human. The linguistic background of each animal's name is given, but these derivations are intentionally skewed for humor. There is a well-written description of the animal's strengths, weaknesses, and quirks, plus advice on feeding, housing, and breeding them, along with recommendations on what the dinosaur is most suitable for. There is a map of the world showing the best locations to purchase that particular species, and the specific stores are named. Finally, there is a set of symbols that summarize important information about the animal (e.g., an icon of a teddy bear means the animal likes children; an icon of a teddy bear missing a leg means the animal likes children to eat).

The "photographs" in this book deserve separate mention. Many beautiful, colorful, often full-page pictures are included to depict the dinosaurs and emphasize each animal's special traits. Many dino-human interactions are shown in these pictures. A prime example is the final picture, which shows a magnificent, and quite colorful, Tyrannosaurus Rex, with a family standing very nearby, and above, on an observation platform. They are taking pictures of, and pointing at, the magnificent hunter supreme. The caption reads, "A picture taken mere seconds before tragedy struck . . ."

There is only one sentence in the book where the author "slips" and alludes to the fact that dinosaurs just happen to be extinct. That one instance relates to how all the restrictions involved in dealing with endangered species do not apply to dinosaurs, as they are already extinct. I think this "slip" was intentional, with the multiple and divers purposes of poking fun at zealous conservationists, giving parents one needed statement in case their children take the book as fact, and professionally stamping the book as fiction.

While "How to Keep Dinosaurs" is fiction and made for humor, the author knows his paleontology. The species named, and their characteristics, all fit with modern paleontology and are extrapolations thereof. More recent theories about how avian the dinosaurs might have been are strongly incorporated (i.e., many of the animals depicted have primitive plumage). I am no paleontologist, and I do not know whether or not Mr. Mash is either, but he is certainly closer to being one than am I.

This book is big (length-width) but only 96 pages; with the many illustrations, it could be used as a coffeetable book. It is extremely well-done and a lot of fun. Want a chuckle? Buy this keeper.

Hilarious...and informative
This book is saving my sanity. Our five-year-old has been obsessed with dinosaurs for so long that we've read pretty much everything you can get your hands on about the beasts. This refreshing and extensive manual has us laughing while reading it out loud over and over again. Our son loves the handy symbol key, which allows him to look up critical traits on each dinosaur, such as which ones "like children," or "like to eat children," or are, alas, "worryingly stupid." He's got it all figured out now, which ones we should get. The photos are great.

Creative amalgam of science and imagination
The book is a humerous mix of pseudo-field guide and dinosaur reference. It's funny and creative with excellent illustrations and imaginative "pictures" of humans interacting with their pet dinosaurs. The Amazon price is too low for this hard back book that would make a great gift for folks interested in dinosaurs and/or just like to laugh. Don't miss this one. I'm buying more to give away to friends and family.

Critical information for the dinosaur owner
"How to Keep Dinosaurs" is a must have for any dinosaur lover, because as the author clearly points out (using a handy graphical directory) some dinosaurs are good with babies and others eat babies, and knowing the difference is both critical and not easily discerned. Moreover, some dinosaurs are, er..., more openly amorous than is generally considered tasteful, and others pass worrying amounts of gas. Still others require government permits, so it is best to check local laws and regulations.

With tongue planted firmly in cheek Robert Mash has produced a book that is always entertaining, but which is also more informative than he would probably openly admit. "How to Keep Dinosaurs" is broken up into sections such as pets, flying dinosaurs and farmable dinosaurs; one might think of these sections as a cross between the groupings at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and those at a state fair. Within each section Mash then presents a variety of dinosaurs, and cogitates on their relative merits and weaknesses. Each one of these dino bios follows more or less the same approach: a derivation of the creature's name (usually accurately translated, but hilariously misunderstood), a general description of breed characteristics, a synopsis of housing/food requirements, breeding possibilities and finally, where to buy the dinosaur if you are interested. As I alluded to above, each dinosaur also comes with handy quick reference icons for such attributes as "worryingly smart" or "picky eater".

While much of what Mash writes is clever fiction, he has generally tried to be as accurate as possible. For example, the smart dinosaurs are generally carnivores, and information about diet and breeding is vague, but will get specific when supported by the fossil record. Furthermore, dinosaurs are always available for purchase where they have been discovered, so Mongolian and North American breeders are heavily represented. It is obvious that Mash didn't pick his dinosaurs at random, but rather tried to make logical choices for his various categories based upon what is know to science. Finally, Mash works in little bits of paleontology's history with such asides as Iguanadons being successfully raised in coal mines in Germany (they were first discovered in a coal mine in Germany).

All that said, "How to Keep Dinosaurs" wouldn't be the book it is if it not for the superb illustrations. Photo-realistic dinosaurs veritably leap of the page and are frequently shown happily frolicking with their owners.

The illustrations will engage any child, but it would be a mistake to consider this a children's book. The writing is well beyond the abilities of an early reader, and the humor, while by no means offensive, is aimed squarely at adults. So, if you are an adult who has never outgrown your fascination with dinosaurs, and who still whimsically ponders how cool it would be to have your own, this is well written and beautifully illustrated book is a must read.

Enjoy!

... Read more

Book Description

The Uncover series combines the best elements of a book with model elements to help readers truly "uncover" the mysteries of what makes things work. A fascinating three-dimensional presentation allows in-depth, hands-on exploration of the subject at hand. This unique "model" is easily built, deconstructed and re-built layer by layer, system by system just by turning a page, until an understanding of the topic is achieved. Uncover a T. Rex examines the structure and fossilized bones of the most powerful meat-eating animal to ever live on land. Learn about scientists' theories and observations and how they came to their conclusions, Discover where T. Rex fossils were found in the U.S., if they were hunters or scavengers, if they were related to birds, and how fast this enormous animal could run. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A pack of fang-toothed Velociraptors gangs up on an unlucky Protoceratops, loping across the desert sand to close in for the kill. A gentle, duck-billed Maiasaura ("good mother lizard") feeds bits of scrub to the appreciative youngsters scampering at her feet. A 41-foot-long, six-ton, flesh-eating Gigantosaurus roars as he lunges at ... a taxicab? DK pulls out all the stops bringing dinosaurs to life in this guide's gorgeous 14-by-21-inch glossy spreads, imagining how they'd appear and behave in their natural habitats, all based on fossil evidence. (Well, except for the Gigantosaurus, who makes a playful appearance with a Barosaurus and a Compsognathus in a bustling downtown scene, just to give you an idea of size and scale.)

DK's seamless graphic treatments and evocative models and photographs are unparalleled, and this oversized Guide to Dinosaurs makes tasty eye candy for any dino lover. Each section tackles a different behavioral or physiological trait ("Arms and Claws," "Hunting in Packs," "Extraordinary Eggs"), placing representative species in convincingly mocked-up settings to illustrate the point. And sneaked in with all these pretty pictures are quite a few meaty but kid-friendly lessons on everything from fossil formation to extinction theory, thanks to award-winning dino author David Lambert. For an imaginative but scientifically rigorous peek into the Mesozoic, you'll find no better guide than DK. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Informative, visually stylish Dinosaur picture book for kids
I bought this for my three year old boy last year hoping he would grow into it. As predicted, at first he only paid attention to the impressive photos of the dinosaurs that dominated each two-page section: but a year later, he is drawn to examine the smaller pictures and ask more questions about the animals. This book works so well, I think, because it can appeal to a wide age range of children and has something of interest in it appropriate to every stage of learning.

The best educational point about this book IMHO is that the dinosaurs featured are not the familiar ones we see in all the other dinosaur picture books (T rex, Brontosaurus, Triceratops, etc), but the author chooses to focus on less-known types such as Barosaurus, Gigantosaurus, Gastonia and Coelophysis, to name a few. Broader subjects include social behaviors, environmental factors that influenced body types and hide patterns/colors, and speculation on possible fates of the dinosaurs. Supplemented with a more traditional dinosaur picture book, your child will eventually have an uncommon knowledge on dinosaurs.

DK Guide to Dinosaurs is also one of the more well-illustrated dinosaur picture books for kids in their grade school years. (Actually, the main "illustrations" are photographs of quality museum models in realistic diorama environments). The unusual design layouts are grounded on black rather than the traditional white, lending a sophisticated look to a subject that is all too often overly textbook-ish in other natural history picture books of this type. More importantly however, the sidebars, timelines and graphical inserts are packed with information and placed in a way that flows well with the main page, leading the eye to points of interest along the page and teaching kids in a more subtle style.

This would be a very good choice for children starting grade school and I can foresee many years when it will be used as a reference for reports and other school projects. My only criticism is that the binding will not take continual abuse from the smaller children in the family, so keep it on a higher shelf... ... Read more

Amazon.com Reviews

The companion volume to the BBC/Discovery Channel series, Walking with Dinosaurs reads like a cross between a National Geographic article and the script from one of Disney's True Life Adventures films. Scenes from the daily lives of various animals illuminate the changes in flora andfauna that occurred during the Mesozoic era.

The fossil record offers some clues about dinosaur behavior. Tracks preserved in sandstone indicate that some of the huge Diplodocus-type dinosaurs traveled in herds with the larger individuals on the outside and the smaller, more vulnerable animals in the center. The courtship behavior of Tyrannosaurus, the social hierarchy within the Diplodocus herd, etc., described in the book are pure speculation. But Haines models his descriptions on animals that occupy similar niches today: Tapejara, a fish-eating pterosaur, nests in remote colonies, like a migratory seabird. However, the suggestion that an old Tyrannosaurus suffered from gout is based on a hotly debated interpretation of the markings on bones of the "Sue" fossil in Chicago's Field Museum.

The striking visuals for the program involved a combination of animatronic figures, puppets, and computer animation. The images work well as illustrations. The formally posed animals in many old paintings had a taxidermic stiffness; these creatures are shown in motion, often in slightly awkward poses, which heightens the illusion that Walking with Dinosaurs is a book of nature photographs.

The result is a highly readable introduction to current theories about dinosaurs that amateur scientists of all ages can enjoy. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Di-namic !
You've watched the shows,now it's time to read the book. " Walking With Dinosaurs: A Natural History" shows your how dinosaurs survived in the harsh, prehistoric worlds.

The book is divided into six chapters, each chapter based on the successful T.V series. Each chapter starts off describing the world at that period of time and it also starts off by introducing you to each prehistoric creature that will be featured in that particular chapter.

Unlike most dinosaur books, this book is more of a work of fiction. Each chapter is actually a short story of how the creatures survived and occasionally, there are small chunks of facts to read.

Overall this is more of a scientific storybook book rather than the usual " dinosaur-factbooks". The most stunning feature of this book is its pictures. While most dinosaur books features hand drawn pictures, this book instead, is armed with "photographs" of dinosaurs.

To fully immerse yourself in the prehistoric world of dinosaurs, I suggest you get this book now... before it becomes extinct !

The Age of the Dinosaurs brought to life
If you're interested in dinosaurs -- and who isn't -- you will be blown away by this magnificent book. It's a great companion volume to the TV special on the Discovery Channel, and a terrific book on its own. The text is well written, informative, and comprehensive to us lay readers, and the pictures of dinosaurs are so real that you almost forget they are computer-generated images; they look ready to walk right off the pages into your living room. I especially liked that along with the more familiar standbys such as Diplodocus, Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, Tim Haines introduces us to dinosaurs most of us didn't know about before, such as Placerias and Postosuchus from the early Triassic period; Ankylosaurus, who could knock a Tyrannosaurus bowlegged; and Liopleurodon, a marine monster who looks like he could chomp a small whale in half and finish off with a couple of great white sharks for dessert. Haines presents the argument for warm-blooded dinosaurs very convincingly and his theory is backed by the recent discovery of a four-chambered fossilized dinosaur heart in South Dakota. He presents the dinosaurs not as museum fossils but as living beings who breathed, ate, slept, excreted, reproduced, and survived attack, and where the evidence is scant, his suggestions for filling in the blanks are so rational that we feel we are sharing a typical day in the life of a prehistoric animal. The photographs of the natural environment the dinosaurs lived in help bring the whole era to life. The final pages, which describe the crash-landing in the Caribbean of the asteroid that terminated the Mesozoic era, are written so vividly that we can almost visualize the flash of light in the distant horizon and feel the shock wave that spread over most of the earth and ended the age of the dinosaurs. This is a wonderful book for the whole family which will be read and referred to over and over again.

I want to lodge a complaint.
As all pieces of BBC documentary, this one is superb. It's already slightly outdated (the Velociraptors are not feathered)but that was to be expected due the steady pace with which our general paleontological knowledge is advancing. However, I want to lodge a complaint. It has to do with Chapter 4, where the "hero", the giant Brazilian pterosaur _Ahanguera_ is named _Ornithocheirus_ - a genus name given probably by American and European paleontologists that have been working with fossil material smuggled against Brazilian law from the clay deposits of the Santana formation. Now, considering the fact that Brazilian scientists have been working against all odds, lack of funds, and of personnel, to unearth fossil remains from Santana at the same place they are being ramsacked by smugglers caring little about science and lots about making easy money, wouldn't it be considerate and in the best general interests of paleontology to enhance their work by giving notice to their work by using the fine Amerindian names (_Ahanguera_ being an Indian devil, a name much more evocative than _Ornithocheirus_)they have found for Brazilian pterosaurs? Just asking, Okay?

You've got to get it!
This book is really great! Though I haven't seen the BBC series Walking With Dinosaurs yet (thanks to god damn region code for DVD players!), this book gives me the opportunity to travel to the past and witness the world of dinosaurs as I've never seen it before. The art work is amazing and the creatures seem so real that you might think they're still living, hunting, mating and so on. The text is very informative and easy to read as well. I also bought the Walking With Prehistoric Beasts book and it is as good as the first one. So, if I were you I wouldn't think twice: get both right now! And have a nice trip to the prehistoric world.

Walking with Dinosaurs: A Natural History
Walking with Dinosaurs: A Natural History by Tim Haines is the companion book to the Discovery Channel video of the same name. This book is a well illustrated and written as it follows different dinosaursas they live their lives.

What I found very interesting about this book is that dinosaurs began living at the poles during the relative summer months, only a few lived year-round. There are some very interesting pictures as the different dinosaurs have various color patterns, especially during mating.

For a reference book on dinosaurs, I'd buy it for the color illustrations, but for information, this book is little light. One thing about the book, it adds some information that wasn't on the video making it a good adjunct to the video. For an all around book that will keep you looking at it for its illustrative effect this is a very good book. In that there are small to very large, and plant-eaters to the flesh-eating dinosaurs represented making for a very well-proportioned cross section.

The narrative is easily understandable bring information to the reader quickly. ... Read more

Book Description

Who invented the word dinosaur? What was the name of the biggest dinosaur? This book includes everything you ever wanted to know about the real-life world of dinosaurs. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Read This Book And You Will Be Crazy For Dinosaurs!
This book is a good book.I learned alot about dinosaurs.This book inspired me to love and study dinosaurs.Now everybody says I'm crazy for dinosaurs!This book talks about plant eaters and meat eaters.It has pictures of dinosaur skelatons.It has lots of theries on how the dinosaurs disapeard.So read it!

I Love the Magic Tree House Series!
This is my favorite book in the whole Magic Tree House series, because they wrote about a new dinosaur called Giganotosaurus. It was even bigger than T-Rex, and if they find more fossils of Giganotosaurus, it will be the king of dinosaurs. I think it was funny when Annie pretended to be Dromiceiomimus because she looked silly with huge eyes!

Fun, entertaining and educational.
What a wonderful idea. Mary Pope and Will Osborne share the research that they put in to writing "Dinosaurs Before Dark" with their readers in a fun and entertaining way. My 8-year old daughter has devoured this book and "Knights and Castles : A Nonfiction Companion to the Knight at Dawn". These books are not only instructing her on the particular subject of each book, but they are also teaching her how to do research on her own. They also build vocabulary and fill her head with wonderous thoughts and questions. I highly recommend this series to every young reader and their parents.

A great book and a great idea.
Thank you Will and Mary Pope Osborne. My 8-year old daughter has always been a fan of the Magic Tree House books and we have always appreciated the educational value of the books. It always was apparent that you had researched the background and facts about the various situations Jack and Annie found themselves in. Sharing the research with your ardent and eager readers is a gift. My daughter devoured the Dinosaurs Research Guide with enjoyment and enthusiasm. She is moved to share her new knowledge with us all. Reading the book has inspired her to continue researching on her own. And, she also says she is looking forward to reading more Research Guides. I highly reccommend this book and any that encourages children to seek and learn on their own.

An excellent book.
I loved the book Dinosaurs because it tells me so much about dinosaurs and it is interesting at the same time. It was fun to read. It was written as if by Jack and Annie and I really liked the part where Annie pretended to be a "silly-sourus". I look forward to reading more Mary Pope Osborne Research Guides. ... Read more

Book Description

Here is everything young readers want to know about dinosaurs and their world—in one magnificently illustrated, up-to-date family reference. Through dramatic graphics and age-appropriate text, this authoritative volume charts the discovery of all the main types of dinosaurs and reveals the latest details on how these creatures most likely looked, behaved, defended themselves, found food, cared for their young, and interacted.

Stunning murals, based on scientific evidence, depict various dinosaurs in their habitats—beautifully complementing the color photographs, paintings, charts, and maps. Some 53 major types of dinosaurs are described, representing a wide range of physical structures, sizes, and lifestyles.

The book presents recent discoveries and current scientific thought—including the dinosaur-bird connection, profiles of feathered dinosaurs, and theories on dinosaur extinction. Readers also see how today’s paleontologists obtain evidence, piece together clues, and continue to reconstruct life in prehistoric times.

Reviews (10)

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DINOSAURS
National Geograpic Dinosaurs by Paul Barrett was an excellent book. It was written for both kids and old folks like myself. The book outlines all the different types of dinosaurs (except Spinosaurous-unfortunately)- a dinosaurs that dominated the movie Jurassic Park 3. Dinosaur lovers will love this book, the subject matter, the descriptions and colored photos, and the required detail of each dinosaur type. An excellent birthday or Christmas gift-like all National Geographic products and shows.

Dinosaurs!
My three year old is just discovering dinosaurs and loves to look through this book. As a life long enthusiast, I have loved having the opportunity to share with him and learned a lot myself from this resource. There is information here for any age group. The book clearly outlines dinosaur families and discusses individual species in detail. The illustrations are fantastic. Any family with an interest in dinosaurs would love this book.

National Geographic, shape up PLZ !
I must confess that I bought this book solely for a few of
Raul Martins illustrations.
I think it would be ok to call it a beginnersbook for adults and why not teenagers, but not for younger children bcause the textstyle is not suited for this purpose ( I'm a teacher ).

I was really disappointed with the layout, especially the colourphotographs as many of them have extremly low resolution, blurry ,very small and too dark and also illogically placed and cropped ( similar photos can be found with better quality on the internet) :(

Many of the paintigs are clumsily placed or so that critical parts of them get obscured by the midsection or folding. I'm sure the illustrator wept.

My critisism may seem a bit harsh but I never thought National Geographic would agree to this kind of hastywork in layout matters.

Anyway....while being interested in paleoart I still think its worth having due to some paintings of Raul Martin although I grind my teeth everytime I see those bad pictures.

Shape up PLZ !

A MUST HAVE
MY 7YR OLD BOY LOVES THIS BOOK...
EXCELLANT PICURES AND DETAIL..WILL ENJOY THIS ONE FOR
MANY A YEAR.

National Geographic: Dinosaurs
National Geographic: Dinosaurs written by Paul Barrett and illustrated by Raul Martin is a richly illustrated and fact-filled book about dinosaurs that ruled the Earth of 160 million years.

This book has stunning artwork making your imagination work overtime as you read the fascinating descriptions and there is a size chart with a human silhouette giving the reader a reality as to the size of some of these dinosaurs.

But, size is not the only thing discussed in this book, for instance, what were dinosaurs like, what did they eat, how did they interact, where were the fossil remains found, and what kind of habitat were they living in. All of there questions are answered to the best of todays painstaking research, informed imagination, and excavation by some of todays foremost dinosaur experts.

What I found very interesting is the integrative biology, how the dinosaurs not only acted within like kind or with different species, but also how the flora played and important roll in how the dinosaurs acted. Also, toward the back of the book, there is a chapter on the different theories as to why and how the dinosaurs became extinct.

This is a very good, well-illustrated and a very readable narrative. This book is well worth the money for an extremely fine reference book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A simply fascinating and compelling nonfiction book
Superbly written by Barbara Hehner, Ice Age Sabertooth is both an educational and highly entertaining picturebook for practiced young readers. It goes into amazing detail about these powerful and deadly long-toothed predators of the ice age, their habitats, their prey, the probable causes of their extinction, and their surviving feline relatives. Splendid, glorious, dramatic full-color illustrations by Mark Hallett enhance this picturebook presentation of a great and ancient member of the cat family. Ice Age Sabertooth is a simply fascinating and compelling nonfiction book certain to captivate youthful minds and imaginations! ... Read more