Children of all ages have a fascination with dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures that became extinct millions of years ago only to be discovered as fossils today. ‘Exploring Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures’ is an outstanding series (divided into three sets) that combines superb full color artwork depicting these long-lost animals with an informed and informative text written at a fourth grade reading level by Susan H. Gray making them of great interest and accessibility for young readers grades 3 to 8. Each 32-page book highlights a particular animal and includes a table of contents, informative sidebars, and introduction to the author, a glossary of key words and phrases, a ‘kid friendly’ index, suggestions for further study (including websites), and a geologic timeline with key features and creatures. Young readers will learn about the habitats of prehistory and the science of paleontology and fossil hunting. Although each title is available individually ($27.07/$18.95), the complete set of (thirty volumes, $812.10) is recommended and offered to school and community libraries at a substantial discount ($568.50). From the Allosaurus, Velociraptor, Meglasaurus, and Iguanodon, to Trilobites, Saber-Toothed Cats, Mammoths and Mastodons, ‘Exploring Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures’ will prove an enduringly popular library acquisition and would make an ideal Memorial Fund selection.

These compact volumes each cover an individual dinosaur. Information is presented in an easily read format, and is written as a student essay might be written. Each volume begins with a brief description of what that dinosaur’s life may have been like, including mealtime, then continues to a physical description of that particular dinosaur. The texts give brief descriptions of fossils, where the particular dinosaur fossil was first discovered and by whom, how plentiful fossils of that particular dinosaur are, and a brief description of the geological period from which that dinosaur comes. Each volume includes a glossary, Did you know? section, geologic time scale section, as well as how to learn more. Having just finished an ancient life unit with students, I found that these volumes would be helpful for those students who ask for dinosaur books. Additional material would be needed for students involved in more in-depth study, but that information is readily available elsewhere. The material in this series is presented in a way that would appeal to both elementary and middle school students, especially older reluctant readers.

Each of these books opens with a dramatic scene to introduce the behavior and habitat of a dinosaur species. Subsequent chapters describe physical characteristics, diet, and other key data. Short, lucid sentences and double-spaced text keep the information easy to follow. Gray relates how scientists discovered and subsequently studied each species over time, conveying the importance of that work to our knowledge of dinosaur history and behavior. She also notes how theories and ideas can change with new discoveries. Special sections, set off with different backgrounds and smaller print, present slightly more complex information about topics such as fossil formation and dinosaur coloring, or about more specific events, such as the inaccurate naming of Oviraptor. These asides help keep presentation lively and relate effectively to the main topics. Illustrations include various drawings of dinosaurs and photos of fossils and of paleontologists in the field. With the exception of Coelophysis, other recent titles on these species are available, but these volumes are well organized and offer the right amount of detail for their intended audience.

These titles in the Exploring Dinosaurs series begin with action-packed scenes that imagine the creatures roaming their ancient forests. Later chapters present facts and speculations about the dinosaurs’ physical characteristics, habits, and finally, their extinction. Vocabulary words appear throughout the text, although not all challenging terms, such as theropod, are defined in the appended glossary. Veteran science author Gray writes in accessible, instructive language that shows, with graceful simplicity, the common sense behind many scientific theories: ‘An animal with an enormous body to feed probably spends most of its time eating,’ she writes in Maiasuara. An attractive mix of artists’ renderings of dinosaurs in their natural habitat mix with color photos of fossils and scientists in the field, and descriptions of the first discoveries of each species’ fossils will introduce children not only to each dinosaur’s history but also to the field of paleontology. A geologic time scale rounds out these attractive titles that children will want for both research and browsing.