Simon &amp; Schuster's Children's Guide To Dinosaurs And Other Prehistoric Animals
Grade 4 Up-- This is a scaled-down version of Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals (Macmillan, 1988). It excludes reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals, making it a less-expansive reference source. However, most of the illustrations and a fair amount of the text have been lifted from the earlier volume. The arrangement of this still-current information makes this edition useful in and of itself. Dinosaurs are presented chronologically, along with a description of the flora and climate of each era (surprisingly difficult information to come by in either juvenile or adult books). Small maps show the location of the continents at that time, and a large full-color illustration gives readers a glimpse of the creatures of the period. Information has been notably reduced from its adult counterpart--not always for good reason. This book highlights some dinosaurs, such as the Maiasaura, in order to discuss how it lived, or in this case, how it raised its young. If you can buy only one, the adult title is still the more informative. However, this abbreviated version is still, far and away, a better reference source on this topic than most children's books available. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Pub . Lib .Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.