You say you have a kid who loves dinosaurs, knows everything about dinosaurs, has read every single book about dinosaurs. We say – not this one! This enormously clever, graphically playful, and informative more-than abecedary goes beyond being an introduction to dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals to offering a whole new way to look at and think about them. And you’ll love it as much as the kids do.
A is for Allosaurus, who was found in America and was angry and aggressive; the accompanying illustration is composed entirely of the letter A in filosophia typeface. B is for Brachiosaurus, and scientists wonder how it got blood to its itty bitty brain; the Brachiosaurus is created with the letter B in universe condensed. This continues throughout the book. On each page or spread, the featured “prehistoric type” is energetically drawn in carefully selected typeface. The magnificent thing is that the creatures “read” as such and burst off the page.
Standard information for each includes name, pronunciation, when it lived, approximate size, what it ate, plus a few other random facts. Some get more extensive treatment, literally, through the ingenious use of lift-the-flaps. The spread for Brachiosaurus includes two lift the flaps that allow readers to wonder at the creature’s immense length head-to-tail and provides additional information such as: “Brachiosaur’s neck consisted of 12 individual 3-foot-long vertebrae. That’s as long as a school bus!” In another, we learn that Giganotosaurus had a bottom jaw a full 6 feet long, with teeth that could grow up to 8 inches long. Lift the flap, and readers are treated to an impressive open-jaw view. Among the creatures, children may find some that are new to them such as the hydrotherosaurus, jinfengopteryz, or the zuniceratops, who was discovered by an 8-year-old boy!
Inspired and inspiring, this book is perfect for sharing and will be equally interesting to dino-fans of all ages, graphic designers, casual browsers, and more.
Reviewed by JMcD
THEMES: ART. DINOSAURS. PICTURE BOOKS FOR OLDER READERS.
- Die-cuts, flaps, phonetic spellings, and alphabetically oriented trivia (“Kentrosaurus was about the length of a kayak”) are seamlessly integrated into the overall polished look of this standout introduction to both dinosaurs and good design.
- Publisher