Sunday 23 March 2014

The Big Book of Dinosaurs

The Big Book of Dinosaurs by Robert Irwin (Random House Australia Children’s)
PB RRP $19.95
ISBN 9781742750958
Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

Young readers may have already devoured the many books in the Robert Irwin Dinosaur Hunter series where Robert and his best friend Riley time travel back to the age of the dinosaurs. To complement the fictitious story lines, dinosaur fans can find out even more about the most famous and obscure dinosaurs that roamed the earth in The Big Book of Dinosaurs.

Starting with its green, dinosaur-skin-textured cover through to its soft-focus pages with their earthy-frames, there’s interesting information to absorb and enjoy. The layout is impressive and the illustrations are so animated I can almost imagine the horned, armoured, frilled and parrot-beaked Albertaceratops strutting off the page and onto my desk. It’s a book waiting to be dipped into by young, inquisitive minds.

The reader is taken on a prehistoric adventure with Robert through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Robert counts down his 10 favourite dinosaurs with pictures, fact files and dino-paws containing snippets of intriguing info.

Robert gives out Dino Awards for those having the: most teeth, weirdest body, longest claws and most armour. There’s even an award for the best Hollywood dinosaur. He visits the world’s renowned fossil sites and museums of natural history. There’s a good section on the Australian Age of Dinosaurs.

Dino fans might also like to draw their own mighty creatures of the Mesozoic era like Robert has drawn with all their spines, armour, jagged teeth, scales and feathers. And if you’re still not sure of something, there’s a handy glossary for that last minute fact check.

Robert Irwin Dinosaur Hunter – The Big Book of Dinosaurs is a great addition to any young dinosaur fan’s collection. Recommended for 6 and up.

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