The Early Cretaceous: Notes, drawings, and observations from prehistory
Ancient Earth Journal
گزارش تخلف
فرمت کتاب
ebook
تاریخ انتشار
2015
Lexile Score
1100
Reading Level
7-9
نویسنده
Gregory S. Paulناشر
Walter Foster Jrشابک
9781627888905
کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
- دیدگاه کاربران
نقد و بررسی
September 15, 2015
Two accomplished paleoartists invite armchair paleontologists to go eye to eye with 21 dinosaurs and flying reptiles. Each chosen dino is presented in a two- to four-page gallery of full-body color portraits supplemented with sepia close-ups of claws and maws. They range from toothy theropods like Carcharodontosaurus saharicus-posed with jaws open, closed, and drenched in gore-and towering sauropod Argentinosaurus huinculensis to Enaliornis barretti, an early bird. All are carefully identified and caught in natural poses with faint shadows but almost no other background detail. Nearly all gaze directly up at viewers with predatory or (if vegetarian) cautionary mien. Their physical details and brightly patterned, scaly hides are worked with fine-lined realism, and colors, particularly in feathers, glow iridescently. Each entry includes a tally of basic information, a select set of descriptive labels, and a scale drawing of the creature next to a (usually much smaller) human figure. Perhaps in an effort to add verisimilitude, though, the authors salt the captions and commentary with unsupported notes on "Temperament" and behavior ("Microraptor emits a high-pitched squawk"), nor do they cite any sources or leads to further information. Eye candy for both serious and casual dinophiles, with an admixture of facts and fancies. (pronunciation guide) (Nonfiction. 8-11)
COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
November 1, 2015
Gr 3-6-Similar in tone to Henry Gee and Luis V. Rey's fictional A Field Guide to the Dinosaurs: The Essential Handbook for Travelers in the Mesozoic, this so-called journal includes facts and a great deal of guesswork. Presented as a paleontologist or explorer's field notebook, with color-washed pen and ink drawings, it is a "record of sightings and observations" during the early Cretaceous period. There's a bit of speculation here. For example, do we know Acrocanthosaurus was "solitary, very aggressive"? Probably the latter, as it was a large theropod, but did it "attack prey by biting the hindquarters"? It was found in Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming; was in the family Charcharodontosauridae; was big; and might very likely have looked like the tawny-washed illustrations and sketches stretching over four pages. But for young readers, this commingling of definitive fact and speculation can be misleading. However, the attractive design will spark children's imaginations. VERDICT Presenting current facts with a soupcon of creativity, this eye-catching title will be coveted by young dinophiles.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
دیدگاه کاربران