Reviews (1)

A solid introduction to the "Spielberg" dinosaurs
The most enduring legacy of the film "Jurassic Park" is that it made a dino-star out of the Velociraptor. Thus we find this Prehistoric World series devoting an entire volume to the "Velociraptor and Other Small Speedy Meat-Eaters," just like the standard favorites of kids all around the world, the Tyrannosaurus, the Triceratops, and the Apatosaurus. The attraction to this particular group of dinosaurs and their uniqueness is captured in the opening pages of Virginia Schomp's book where there is a photograph of the famous "fight dinosaurs" fossils that preserved the life-and-death struggle of a Velociraptor and its Protoceratops prey. Being able to see a fight like this eighty million years later is pretty compelling.

When you read one of these books by Schomp the emphasis is clearly on a scientific approach. Young readers will learn that Velociraptors are of the suborder Theropods, the infraorder Tetanurans, and the family Dromaneosaurs, which includes the genuses Deionychus and Dromaeosaurus. There are also Theropods that were twice as big as the Velociraptor. There are less than a dozen different types of small predators covered in this book, for which young readers will learn where and when the creature lived, and such charming facts as teh Compsognathus had a skull 2 1/2 inches long while the Coelophysis sometimes ate its own young. Then there is the Sinosauropteryz, a small dinosours that was covered with hairlike feathers that paleontologists see as being evidence of the link between ancient dinosaurs and modern birds. These books may well not only continue a child's interest in dinosaurs, but direct it toward a more scientific rather than cinematic understanding. ... Read more

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Great for Montessori Kids!
This book is used continually in my classroom. My students use it to write reports about the time periods of history. It really helps them develop research skills and interest in the topic of Pre-History. ... Read more

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A solid introduction to the oddest looking dinosaurs
This is the fourth volume of books on the suborders of dinosaurs and I had one big question as I read "Triceratops and Other Horned Plant Eaters." Where does the Stegosaurus fit into the dinosaur family tree? They are not horned plant eaters but they were not an armored plant eater either, and they are not going to fit into any of the other books in the series. However, by paying attention to the lessons that Virginia Schomp imparts in these books I learned that the Stegosaurus is not a Marginocephalian, a shelf-headed plant-eater like the Triceratops, but a Thyreophoran, a four-legged palnt-eating dinosaur with bony plates and armor. That certainly defines the Stegosaurs, but they belong to their own infraorder, which is different from both the Ankylosaurs and the Scelidosaurs.

Now, keep in mind that I never took biology in high school so my ability to not only toss around these scientific terms but actually understand what they mean, is a testament to the scientific perspective that Schomp brings to these volumes. There are almost a dozen different types of horned plant-eaters illustrated in the volume as well as a great photograph of a Triceratops skeleton. For each Leptoceratops, Chasmaosaurus, and their kin, Schomp tells us when and where they lived (mostly North America in the late Cretaceous Period), and some interesting tidbits that help you tell one from another. The result is a solid introduction into one of the most fascinating types of dinosaurs.

The Triceratops and their kin were one of the oddest looking dinosaurs and also one of the very last, which allows Schomp to talk about the end of the age of Dinosaurs. Young readers will also learn about how these animals lived in herds and protected their young. Other titles in the Prehistorical World series look at "Ankylosaurus and Other Armored Plant-Eaters," "Apatosaurus and Other Giant Long-Necked Plant-Eaters," "Tyrannosaurus and Other Giant Meat-Eaters," and "Velociraptor and Other Small, Speedy Meat-Eaters." Note: the illustration picked for the cover of this volume was not the best possible choice; I mean, a Triceratops with a tree across its eyes? The Pentaceratops on page 19 would have been my choice, but I suppose if it says "Triceratops" in the titler then there has to be a Triceratops on the cover. ... Read more

Book Description

The story of the dinosaurs: the different species, how they lived, what they ate, their sizes and shapes, and how they became extinct. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Fantastic!
This book is absolutely wonderful!

It systematically portrays the evidence behind this little known discovery, and points to the fact that the "scientific world" does not have all the answers.

Here is the corpse of a man, first thought to be a recent death, but then dated to be, perhaps, 5000 years old lying in the Alps. Once the police realized the enormity behind the find they had found, they called in the scientists.

The subsequent research was so contraversial, that it has been "hushed" and is only found on a few PBS stations and this little book.

Personally, I have to wonder if this "frozen man" was a child or grandchild of Adam.

I am a scientist, but I am a Christian, and this book about this hushed discovery once again smashes those two worlds together.

If you are a person who endeavors to pull this two worlds togethers, you would really enjoy this book. And the price is well worth it. ... Read more

Book Description

Children are very curious about who their prehistoric ancestors were, how they lived, and what they may have looked like, and this new Best Book is just the source to satisfy emerging anthropologists. Children will learn how early families survived, hunted, gathered into primitive settlements, began to use tools,and invented farming techniques. Step-by-step illustrations and captions explore ancient villages and the work of the scientists who find and catalog their discoveries. ... Read more

Book Description

Meet the long-lost creatures of the past! From the familiar wooly mammoth to the killer Basilosaurus, these pictures bring you face-to-face with amazing creatures in staggering 3D detail. Using the latest in 3D technology, phenomenal images from the Walking with Prehistoric Beasts series have been spectacularly reproduced for this book. Take a look through the special glasses and watch the beasts jump off the page! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beware, not all prehistoric beasts are dinosaurs.
I bought this book (and the companion sticker book) for my four year old daughter, who is crazy about the BBC Walking with Dinosaurs DVD set. The description made it clear that the book was about prehistoric beasts, not just dinosaurs, but there is nary a dinosaur to be found. The book is OK, but would have been a much greater success if it had included some of the creatures from the dinosaur series. The sticker book is almost exclusively populated by the dinosaurs in the movie. Go figure! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great! Excellently described, very detailed!
I Luv it, it was so interesting! It really helped me out with my report for school! ... Read more