Gabrielle Balkan

Young dinosaur fans get to revisit some of their favorites, while also discovering (maybe) a few new dinos to love.

This books adds a fun twist to the realm of dinosaur books by challenging young readers to get involved. After a quick introduction to fossils, it dives into the prehistoric creatures. A skeleton is presented with a couple highlights to the specific dino's special abilities. Then, there's a couple of clues presented about the dinosaur on the other side of the two-page spread. The reader is asked to guess the name of the dino. The answer is then revealed by opening up a large flat. This not only presents the answer but gives a few more details about the creature.

I was surprised how well this fits to the 3 to 5 age group—not overly easy but not pushing too far into the details, either. This isn't a list of detailed facts, but rather steers to the attributes of each dinosaur in a playful manner. The text flows with lightness, while working interesting tidbits in seamlessly. It isn't an overwhelming amount and fits well to the average attention span of the intended audience. I was surprised at the variety of dinosaurs presented, since it includes a few outside of the 'norm'. So, it offers something to those readers, who might know their dinosaurs fairly well, too.

The atmosphere sticks to that of a game, prompting readers to think about each clue. The accompanying skeleton is a great hint without completely giving the answer and offers visual insights with additional knowledge. The flaps add that extra hint of fun and help maintain the game feel. I did appreciate that these open up and still allow the skeleton on the opposite side to remain in full view. It's a book to put a smile on dino-fans faces.
I received a complimentary copy and found this to be a fun way to explore the realm of dinosaurs.… (altro)