Bones and stones: resurrecting the prehistoric

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs everywhere!

These prehistoric creatures will be popping up everywhere this summer, from the highly anticipated Disney movie to the books your children will be reading. And there is a dinosaur book for just about every age group out there.

REVIEWS BY SHARON GALLIGAR CHANCE

For the youngest dino lovers, the real-life, ferocious-looking creatures can be somewhat frightening. Not a problem in two delightful volumes geared just for the littlest reader. Dinosaur! by Peter Sis is the story of a little boy who takes a toy dinosaur to the bath with him, only to find a whole slew of dinosaurs popping up out of his tub. There are no words in this book, only incredible illustrations that tell the simple story remarkably well. Kids will especially like the pull-out page that features 12 different types of dinos running across the plains.


Fanciful but accurate dinosaurs of every color in the rainbow are the stars of How Do Dinosaurs Say Good-night? by Jane Yolen. Filled with wonderful detail and humor, this tale of 11 different fussy dinosaurs getting ready for bed will delight kids and parents. Mark Teague's illustrations are as clever as they are colorful, and hidden in each picture is the actual scientific name of the dinosaur represented.


For readers ages five to eight, more in-depth story telling can be found in The Most Amazing Dinosaur by James Stevenson. The cute tale follows the adventures of Wilfred the Rat as he makes wondrous discoveries in a museum filled with dinosaur bones. With help from a variety of animal friends, Wilfred learns all about how dinosaurs lived and how their bones are arranged, knowledge that will come in handy when disaster strikes in the museum.


For young poetry lovers, Dinosaurs Forever by William Wise is filled with delightful rhymes about all kinds of dinosaurs. There are dinosaurs dining, dinosaurs dancing, even dinosaurs going to the dentist. Lynn Munsinger's bright and fanciful illustrations make the poems come alive for the reader.


For more advanced readers, two biographies of famed dinosaur hunter Roy Chapman Andrews, and a guide to the movie, Dinosaur, are sure to prove inspiring and entertaining. A more detailed recounting of Roy Chapman Andrews's life can be found in Dragon Bones and Dinosaur Eggs: A Photobiography of Explorer Roy Chapman Andrews by Ann Bausum. Using entries from Andrews's diary and personal photographs, Bausum follows the explorer's life from his childhood in Wisconsin to his famous discovery of dinosaur bones in the Mongolian desert. A concise resource guide and index will make this book a valuable reference tool for the young dinosaur enthusiast.


Dinosaurs At The Ends of the Earth: The Story of the Central Asiatic Expeditions by Brian Floca is a fictionalized account of the famous expeditions that led Andrews and his company to discover the evidence of dinosaur beginnings.


For kids who like to learn more about what goes into the development of animated movie characters, Dinosaur: The Essential Guide gives an up-close and personal introduction to the cast in spectacular full-color illustrations. Sidebars detail points from the Disney movie as well as facts about dinosaurs.


More graphic depictions of real-life dinosaurs will be found in two over-sized volumes that are suitable for older children and adults. Dinosaurs!: The Biggest, Baddest, Strangest, Fastest by Howard Zimmerman and DK Guide to Dinosaurs: A Thrilling Journey Through Prehistoric Times by David Lambert both contain startling and realistic illustrations and factual information about the prehistoric creatures. (Parents might want to check these two out before allowing youngsters to have a look at them.)

Enjoy a prehistoric summer of dino-reading with your children.


Sharon Galligar Chance is the mother of four boys.

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