Pterodactyl

November 1, 2013

Gr 2-4-Combining dinosaur facts with basic paleontology, each title opens with a brief look at the featured animal in its time and then moves on to the first discovery of its remains. With clear, fairly simple language, the author describes how scientists built upon and corrected prior theories, such as the multiple errant attempts to match Apatosaurus to its proper skull. However, Velociraptors misleads readers by stating that velociraptors may have "hunted and lived in packs." Each book brings these reptiles up to the present day, with discoveries as recent as 2012. A question-and-answer feature encourages speculation in a nod to Common Core requirements. The illustrations, photographs, and reproductions show a mixture of fossils, paleontologists in the field, and images of the featured dinosaurs. The paleontologist viewpoint, coupled with more standard facts about behavior and physical features, makes a fairly engaging angle into dinosaur study.

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