Book Reviews - Part 24

21 04, 2008

Magic Dinosaurs Book Review

By Mike|2022-11-14T13:42:03+00:00April 21st, 2008|Categories: Book Reviews, Main Page|0 Comments

Magic Dinosaurs Book Review

Every once in a while our buyer comes across a really fun and different prehistoric animal themed book. With an interest in children’s education, books have to meet very strict criteria in terms of their contribution to learning. A recent edition to our reading activities section certainly does this, uniting young children’s interest with dinosaurs with storytelling and learning about colours.

Especially designed for very young dinosaur fans the Mini-Magic Dinosaurs book is a robust, hardback which tells the story of dinosaurs playing hide and seek. Palaeontologists have no evidence from the fossil record to support this type of behaviour amongst Dinosauria – but you never know.

Anyway, a Tyrannosaurus rex sets off in search of his friends who are playing with this game with him. Each of the prehistoric animals he meets is a different colour. The colour of the animal is revealed by pulling a tab on each page of the book. When the tab is pulled the animal in question magically appears in colour – neat.

The Magic Mini-Dinosaur Hand and Seek Book

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Team members have been fascinated to see how the trick is done, simply pull the tab and the dinosaur is revealed in colour.

To see the range of dinosaur and prehistoric animal themed merchandise available: Everything Dinosaur.

On test the young children we read the book to were fascinated. They loved going back in time to see the dinosaurs playing. This book is very helpful when it comes to learning about different colours and recognising colours and words. It is suitable for very young children from about 18 months and upwards.

5 04, 2008

Review of the New Pop-up Facts Dinosaurs

By Mike|2024-04-12T08:30:22+01:00April 5th, 2008|Categories: Book Reviews, Main Page|0 Comments

Pop-up Facts Dinosaurs (Review)

Time to step back to the Mesozoic (Age of Reptiles) and meet some of the amazing animals the lived during the Triassic, Jurassic and the Cretaceous.

The Front Cover of Pop-Up Facts Dinosaurs

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of toys, models, learning materials and games available: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

A hardback book that is beautifully illustrated contains lots and lots of facts and information about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Young readers can wonder at the huge plant-eating sauropods that pop out of the page at you, examine fossil evidence of the colossal meat-eating dinosaurs and study marine reptiles as well as pterosaurs. Page after page of truly impressive pop-ups, packed with fascinating facts, tabs to pull, flaps to lift and wheels to turn. Even the front cover which depicts a theropod dinosaur in 3-D relief has a dinosaur eye that looks straight back at the reader.

Recommended for young dinosaur fans aged 5+ a super, dinosaur book, crammed with facts and very educational, this is a great example of a book about dinosaurs for kids.

An Example of the Fact Filled Pop-up Pages

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s Homepage: Everything Dinosaur.

22 01, 2008

Review of Prehistoric Times – Issue 84 (New for Winter 2008)

By Mike|2024-04-03T07:39:19+01:00January 22nd, 2008|Categories: Magazine Reviews, Main Page|0 Comments

Review of Prehistoric Times – Issue 84

Mike Fredericks, his colleagues and contributors kick start 2008 with another very informative and packed edition of “Prehistoric Times” – the magazine for dinosaur enthusiasts and prehistoric animal merchandise collectors.

The front cover features a nothosaur – a Triassic marine reptile. The picture has been specially commissioned for Prehistoric Times and was created by John Sibbick perhaps the most eminent dinosaur illustrator around today. The front cover links to an article on the nothosaurid group providing a history of fossil finds and giving palaeoartists the opportunity to depict these animals in their watery environment.

The Front Cover of “Prehistoric Times” Magazine

Issue 84 of “Prehistoric Times”

Keeping to the theme of prehistoric animals beginning with the letter “N” there is a special section on nodosaurs, part of the armoured dinosaur family the thyreophorans, similar to ankylosaurs but lacking the tail club. Putting aside the opening paragraphs depicting a battle between a male Edmontonia and a bull Triceratops, the article sets out to “right some of the wrongs” concerning nodosaurs and give this group a little of the limelight so often hogged by the stegosaurs and ankylosaurs.

As well as the usual features about new products, fossil finds and the latest theories, issue 84 features a section on dinosaurs of Brazil. The article is written by Augustin Martinelli and Ezequiel Vera, palaeontologists from Argentina and the article is well written and most informative.

Cleaveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry

The new developments at the famous Cleveland-Lloyd dinosaur quarry in the middle of the Morrison formation are discussed with cool pictures showing the new facilities and some of the latest fossil finds and last by not least T. rex gets a look in with the second part of an article tracing the history of Tyrannosaurus illustration.

All in all, an excellent read.

“Prehistoric Times” website: Visit Prehistoric Times.

18 11, 2007

Digging Up Dinosaurs – A New Book Review

By Mike|2024-04-02T21:20:33+01:00November 18th, 2007|Categories: Book Reviews, Main Page|0 Comments

Digging Up Dinosaurs – Book Review

If you have ever wondered how and where dinosaur fossils are found and thought about wanting to have a go at excavating your very own dinosaur, then this book (an ideal dinosaur book for kids), is for you.

Combining information about the Age of Reptiles, the hard book cover folds out into a one metre wide sized booklet that takes young dinosaur fans through the step-by-step process of conducting their own dinosaur dig. With a little guidebook included entitled “The Fossil Finders Handbook”, this very well crafted and colourful publication explains how palaeontologists unlock secrets from the past.

The book has been designed so that it can be folded outwards to provide a 3-D Tyrannosaurus skeleton that can be hung on a bedroom wall as an informative dinosaur poster. The two main dinosaurs featured are Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops and information and lots of facts are provided about these two late Cretaceous dinosaurs in particular.

It is a colourful and informative publication with a unique style and layout which will appeal to children aged 5-6 years and upwards.

To view prehistoric animal and dinosaur toys: Dinosaur Toys and Gifts.

25 10, 2007

Prehistoric Times – Autumn 2007 New Edition

By Mike|2024-04-01T10:19:52+01:00October 25th, 2007|Categories: Magazine Reviews, Main Page|0 Comments

Review of Prehistoric Times Autumn Edition (Issue 83)

Prehistoric Times is a magazine for dinosaur enthusiasts and collectors of related prehistoric animal merchandise. Four issues are produced each year, edited by Mike Fredericks, the magazine is printed in America and has a strong bias towards the United States, but can be published on a subscription basis and sent all over the world.

Each full colour magazine includes reviews of the latest model kits, plus interviews with artists and scientists. Plus news and information about prehistoric life and the latest scientific discoveries.

The autumn edtion features an interview with the creator of Dinotopia James Gurney, on the eve of publication of his new Dinotopia novel “Journey to Chandara”. The article provides an insight into this new novel in the Dinotopia saga, with lots of illustrations taken from the Dinotopia series.

Prehistoric Times – Front Cover

New Issue of PT.

Picture courtesy of Prehistoric Times

The magazine also features articles on ratites (Terror Birds) and raptors illustrated by a number of well-known palaeo-artists, plus a review of the latest models and kits.

To subscribe to this magazine: Prehistoric Times.

3 07, 2007

Image from T. rex King of the Dinosaurs Book

By Mike|2022-10-29T16:53:21+01:00July 3rd, 2007|Categories: Book Reviews, Dinosaur Fans|0 Comments

T. rex King of the Dinosaurs Book

Team members at Everything Dinosaur, the UK based company that supplies dinosaur books and posters, were marvelling at the wonderful images in the children’s dinosaur book entitled “Tyrannosaurus rex – King of the Dinosaurs”. The book has some super dinosaur artwork and drawings, all created by artist John Sibbick.

An Illustration from the Dinosaur Book

Wonderful illustration of Tyrannosaurus rex from a dinosaur book for kids.

Picture Credit: Everything Dinosaur

John Sibbick’s artwork comes to life in this wonderful children’s book “T. rex King of the Dinosaurs”. John is one of our favourite palaeoartists. He is a very talented individual. This clever children’s book has several “pop-up” pages which dramatically portray dinosaurs in three-dimensions. It is packed full of facts and information about Tyrannosaurus rex.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of products: Everything Dinosaur.

2 07, 2007

T. rex Cover (New Digging up Dinosaurs Book)

By Mike|2024-04-01T08:54:39+01:00July 2nd, 2007|Categories: Book Reviews|0 Comments

Dinosaur Books for Kids

When it comes to a dinosaur book with lots of activities and ideas, this “Digging up Dinosaurs” title is hard to beat.

Dinosaur Books for Children

A guide to digging up dinosaurs.

Picture Credit: Everything Dinosaur

A clever hardback book aimed at children from six years and upwards.

Ever wondered how and where fossils of dinosaurs are found? This interactive dinosaur book complete with dinosaur dig activities, a metre wide dinosaur poster and fossil finders handbook provides the answers.

Fascinating facts about two famous dinosaurs Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Everything Dinosaur.

2 07, 2007

Tyrannosaurus rex – King of the Dinosaurs (Book Review)

By Mike|2022-10-29T16:51:04+01:00July 2nd, 2007|Categories: Book Reviews, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page|0 Comments

Tyrannosaurus rex – King of the Dinosaurs (Book Review)

One of our ambitions at Everything Dinosaur is to encourage young people to read about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. We have spent quite a long time looking at various books to see if we would like to add them to our shop. As we have run our focus groups and Hall tests we have asked young readers to give us their views on certain books. After much research and deliberation the first set of books is now available and we can review it here.

Tyrannosaurus rex – King of the Dinosaurs is a colourful, pop-up book with illustrations from John Sibbick (a world renowned dinosaur illustrator). The innovative pop-up design was well liked by our young testers who recommended that the book be rated as suitable for 5 years and upwards. They liked the pull mechanisms in the book which revealed the T.rex skull structure and showed how the legs worked and such like.

The book also contains a pull-out cardboard model of a Tyrannosaurus which is about 60cm long – this went down really well with the young scientists.

As for the Mums and Dads, they liked the hard-book robust nature of the book itself and the way in which key words and concepts were explained along the way.

Everyone agreed that the illustrations were superb, a credit to John Sibbick no doubt, although some were a little puzzled as to why T. rex would have a blue and yellow back. Why not? Since colour does not fossilise it is hard to say what colour Tyrannosaurus rex, or any dinosaur for that matter might be. The dappled skin could be useful to help break up the huge animal’s outline as it moved around in poor light conditions such as early dawn or through the shafts of light from a grove of southern beech trees.

Here is a link to the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

All in all a good book, worthwhile adding to junior’s collection. However, one point noted by our dinosaur team – the actual title “Tyrannosaurus Rex” is not quite how scientists would write the name of T. rex. In science, when it comes to classifying animals they have a genus name i.e. Tyrannosaurus and a species name in this case rex. When these names are written down the genus name is always in capitals and the species name, rex is written in lower case. It is not correct to put a capital R onto rex.

Being pedantic, you are supposed to write the species name in italics like this:

Tyrannosaurus rex but on many occasions this etiquette is ignored. These things are important to us, even in dinosaur books for children, perhaps more so.