Atlas of Prehistoric Animals (Large Encyclopedias)

Books about dinosaurs are ubiquitous, and young readers love them, but there were many more creatures in prehistoric times than the dinosaurs, and this book is a wonderful introduction to many of those while including a few dinosaurs.

It opens with a timeline showing the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras and the periods within those. The table of contents reflects those three eras. Following an introduction by a paleontologist are forty spreads showing creatures found during the different periods. Young readers will be fascinated by such creatures as the Archelon, similar to a sea turtle but fifteen feet long and sixteen feet wide, and the tiny dinosaur called Oculudentavis that was only about four inches long. Then there is the Entelodon that looked like a giant (up to a ton) pig!

Each spread has a full-page color illustration of the animals facing a page with a half page of black-and-white drawings of the creatures with their scientific names, period, and some measurements. A half page of text follows. It is written in a conversational tone and, while it doesn’t shy away from challenging scientific language, it is appropriate for young readers. Youngsters will read this one over and over.