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Ancient Earth Journal

The Early Cretaceous: Notes, drawings, and observations from prehistory

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

A 2016 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12 (National Science Teachers Association-Children's Book Council

The Early Cretaceous brings readers closer to prehistoric life than ever before.

What it would be like to see a living, breathing dinosaur? The Early Cretaceous brings readers closer to prehistoric life than ever before. By combining the latest paleontological findings with highly detailed, intimate drawings of wildlife from the Early Cretaceous, readers will look into the eyes of some of the most fascinating creatures to ever inhabit the earth. Written and illustrated in the style of a naturalist's notebook, the viewer will be given a first-hand account of what it is like to stand alongside everything from the first birds to flying dinosaurs to some of the largest creatures ever to walk the earth. Through detailed illustrations and descriptive narrative, readers will discover how some dinosaurs survived polar blizzards, while others were able to pump blood five stories high to reach their brains. While many books on prehistoric life lump dinosaurs into the general timeline of the Mesozoic Period, no book currently dissects plant and animal life during one specific period. This allows the book to explore wildlife seldom featured in publications, many of them recent discoveries. The Early Cretaceous is backed by the research of one of paleontology's most acclaimed theorists, giving the book the most up to date scientific interpretation regarding animal behaviors, interactions, and recreations.

"The illustrations and artistic layout are exceptionally beautiful. This is a book children will cherish, keep, and remember, and adults will be delighted to add to their collection." - Sylvia Czerkas, Author and Director The Dinosaur Museum, Utah

"The illustrations are fantastic! The Nigersaurus 'grazing' is one of the nicest reconstructions of a rebbachisaurid I've ever seen." - Matthew C. Lamanna, Ph.D., Assistant Curator, Section of Vertebrate Paleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History

"Fantastic artwork!" - Andrew Milner, Paleontologist and Curator at St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site

"The art is amazing" - Phil Hore, National Dinosaur Museum, Australia

"I *love* it! The style reminds me of a very cool sci-fi book that I had as a kid (and still have), Dougal Dixon's After Man: A Zoology of the Future. Dixon's book is a wonderful, lavishly illustrated introduction to evolutionary principles that helped set me on the path to becoming a professional paleontologist. I suspect your book is going to be similarly inspirational to many of today's aspiring scientists." - Matthew C. Lamanna, Ph.D., Assistant Curator, Section of Vertebrate Paleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History

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    • Kirkus

      September 15, 2015
      Two accomplished paleoartists invite armchair paleontologists to go eye to eye with 21 dinosaurs and flying reptiles. Each chosen dino is presented in a two- to four-page gallery of full-body color portraits supplemented with sepia close-ups of claws and maws. They range from toothy theropods like Carcharodontosaurus saharicus-posed with jaws open, closed, and drenched in gore-and towering sauropod Argentinosaurus huinculensis to Enaliornis barretti, an early bird. All are carefully identified and caught in natural poses with faint shadows but almost no other background detail. Nearly all gaze directly up at viewers with predatory or (if vegetarian) cautionary mien. Their physical details and brightly patterned, scaly hides are worked with fine-lined realism, and colors, particularly in feathers, glow iridescently. Each entry includes a tally of basic information, a select set of descriptive labels, and a scale drawing of the creature next to a (usually much smaller) human figure. Perhaps in an effort to add verisimilitude, though, the authors salt the captions and commentary with unsupported notes on "Temperament" and behavior ("Microraptor emits a high-pitched squawk"), nor do they cite any sources or leads to further information. Eye candy for both serious and casual dinophiles, with an admixture of facts and fancies. (pronunciation guide) (Nonfiction. 8-11)

      COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      November 1, 2015

      Gr 3-6-Similar in tone to Henry Gee and Luis V. Rey's fictional A Field Guide to the Dinosaurs: The Essential Handbook for Travelers in the Mesozoic, this so-called journal includes facts and a great deal of guesswork. Presented as a paleontologist or explorer's field notebook, with color-washed pen and ink drawings, it is a "record of sightings and observations" during the early Cretaceous period. There's a bit of speculation here. For example, do we know Acrocanthosaurus was "solitary, very aggressive"? Probably the latter, as it was a large theropod, but did it "attack prey by biting the hindquarters"? It was found in Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming; was in the family Charcharodontosauridae; was big; and might very likely have looked like the tawny-washed illustrations and sketches stretching over four pages. But for young readers, this commingling of definitive fact and speculation can be misleading. However, the attractive design will spark children's imaginations. VERDICT Presenting current facts with a soupcon of creativity, this eye-catching title will be coveted by young dinophiles.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

      Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1100
  • Text Difficulty:7-9

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