Booklist Review

Gr. 4-6. This oversize volume catalogs 100 creatures that lived before, during, and after the age of dinosaurs. The alphabetically arranged book makes for a strange mix-the ancient forerunner of turtles and lizards, for instance, is right alongside Homo erectus. Each entry includes several paragraphs and a color-pencil drawing, some of which are not particularly well executed. Weight, height, environment, and time period are listed for each creature. The text, while informative, tends to overestimate the reader's knowledge: a rhinolike creature is described as an ungulate, a word explained in other entries but not in this one. Undefined words can be a problem because it's unlikely that the book, which has no glossary, will be read all the way through. Still, this is comprehensive in scope and will be useful as a curriculum aid. Browsers, too, will enjoy this glimpse into the prehistoric world. A time chart showing the various geologic eras and the animals that lived during these periods is appended. IC. 567 Paleontology / Extinct animals [OCLC] 87-82490