Inside Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures - Hardcover

Steve Parker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385311893 ISBN 13: 9780385311892

Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 1995

Synopsis

An inside look at paleontology presents cross-sections of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, and offers accompanying theories about why they became extinct, how they used their chicken-egg-sized brains, and more. Reprint.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Parker and Dewan, who collaborated on Inside the Whale and Other Animals , admirably reconstruct prehistoric animals "from the inside out"--in other words, their work starts with a study of bones, turns to internal organs and moves on to "fur and feathers." Originally published in the U.K. by Dorling Kindersley, the book bears that company's distinctive design: meticulous cross-section drawings of the creatures dominate each page, while an abundance of supplementary spot art magnifies details; much of the breezy yet informative text is presented in extended captions alongside the illustrations. A great deal of spark and humor help Parker and Dewan connect with their young audience. Small green dinosaurs play the roles of scientists as the processes of discovering, cataloguing and piecing together fossils are described. Catchy headlines ("Neck and Neck"; "Slash and Gnash") call attention to brief sections focusing on various parts of dinosaur anatomy and containing such engaging bits of dinosaur trivia as the speculation that the stegosaurus may have had a second brain located in its hip region. An excellent entry in a crowded field. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr. 4-7. The team that brought us Inside the Whale (1992) strips away the skin and gives us a look at the insides of another group of animals. Fanciful green critters (who appear to be a cross between an earless Snoopy and a toothless iguanodon) guide our progress around pages, which, in Eyewitness Books fashion, use a combination of brief text and variously sized, colorful illustrations (these have great ink-line details) to pass along information. We find out about dino dentition, respiration, and locomotion as well as the skeletal system and lots more. The scientific names and some of the unexplained terms (subcutaneous, etc.) may stop some middle-graders cold--but only momentarily. Most won't be able to resist the oodles of dinosaur guts revealed in the cutaways or the thoroughly labeled drawings that occasionally extend over several spreads. Mechanical drawings, usually of odd devices piloted by our little green tour guides, help clarify the bodily processes in operation, and kids are sure to chortle when they get to the one in which dinosaur digestion comes to an end. Stephanie Zvirin

About this edition

• Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0385311893
• ISBN 13: 9780385311892
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 47
• Illustrator: Ted Dewan