Review: The fascinating world of dinosaurs
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 16, 2013
Kids and grown-ups alike seem to have an endless fascination with dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are everywhere, in books, movies, and toys, with no end in sight. Author Emma Child has sorted out myth from fact and written a nice primer to introduce youngsters to the world of dinosaurs. Even grown-ups will probably pick up a few new tidbits about these creatures that ruled the planet many millions of years ago. Among the interesting things that I learned:* Everything we know about dinosaurs was learned from fossils found in sedimentary rock.* Some dinosaurs walked on all four legs, while others walked on two legs. Some dinosaurs could do both.* Dinosaurs had very small brains compared to the size of their bodies. Some dinosaurs had brains no bigger than a walnut.* Some dinosaurs were flesh-eating carnivores; others were plant-eating herbivores. Paleontologists can tell which type a dinosaur was by studying their teeth. Carnivores generally hunted alone, while herbivores often lived in groups.* Some dinosaurs lived in the sea. There were some flying "dinosaurs," but technically they were actually flying reptiles.* Dinosaurs all died and became extinct over a short period of time. No one knows for sure why this happened.The book includes some excellent color illustrations to complement the text. Overall, it's a nice introduction to dinosaurs for youngsters or anyone who's not familiar with these fascinating creatures.