Did Dinosaurs Eat Pizza?: Mysteries Science Hasn't Solved [Hardcover]

Lenny Hort (Author), John O'Brien (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Have you ever seen a dinosaur in your backyard? Of course not. But where did they go?

What did a Parasaurolophus sound like? Why did the Spinosaurus have enormous fins along its back? Do you ever wonder what a Tyrannosaurus rex ate for dinner? Perhaps it feasted on freshly caught Maiasaura. Or maybe it preferred slow-roasted Pterodactyl. Scientists aren't sure what a T. rex's meal was like, but they're fairly certain it didn't involve pizza.

There's a lot we don't know about dinosaurs. We may not have all the answers--but laugh your way through this fun-filled book and you'll discover the mysteries!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3–A bit of creative humor and detailed ink-and-watercolor illustrations will stir the imaginations of readers who question the mysteries surrounding these prehistoric creatures. As the text alternates between what scientists know and dont know about them, museum experts paint a model, a single dinosaur joins its relatives in a zoos birdhouse, and a long-neck nibbles his way through tropical pizza trees. Did dinosaurs see in color? How did they get enough to eat? What color were they? How did they communicate? Why did they have fins or plates? More likely, the book raises questions, not answers. Its format entertains but answers little. Mark Teagues bolder, fanciful illustrations in Jane Yolens imaginative books (Scholastic) fit the youngest of readers a bit more closely. However, children gather around any book with dinosaurs as the primary topic, and the playful illustrations combined with a bit of information and thought-provoking questions make fine starters for investigation. An additional purchase for most libraries.–Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 3. With so many books about dinosaurs being published for older children, it's refreshing to find a good one for younger kids still in the throes of dinosaur fever. Better still, this one steers clear of both tooth-and-blood illustrations and the pretense that science has all the answers. The discussion opens with the idea that even though much is known about dinosaurs, there are still mysteries to solve. The pages that follow introduce a series of unanswered questions--for example, What sounds did they make? Was Tyrannosaurus rex a hunter or a scavenger? Clearly written and filled with fascinating facts for dinosaur enthusiasts, the book introduces a new mystery or two on each double-page spread. O'Brien's detailed, often-witty ink drawings, brightened with colorful washes, interpret the facts imaginatively. Teachers and parents can use this unusual book to spark discussion about dinosaurs and, perhaps, about the insatiably inquisitive nature of science. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (January 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805067574
• ISBN-13: 978-0805067576
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,344,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps our favorite dinosaur book, June 9, 2011

By 

S. Howell (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Did Dinosaurs Eat Pizza?: Mysteries Science Hasn't Solved (Hardcover)

Of all the dinosaur books my daughter and I have read so far this may be our favorite. It packs a lot of information into very readable bursts of text. The illustrations are somehow both amusing and informative, and truly complement the text in that several proved very helpful in explaining some of the more difficult concepts to my 4-year-old.

My daughter in particular loves the idea that while we know a lot about dinosaurs already, there are many more things we don't know. She's convinced she is going to be the one to solve that perplexing mystery of how the very largest dinosaurs were able to lay their eggs without having them shatter when they hit the ground.

It helps that you can't read for very long about dinosaurs without stumbling into examples of kids making important discoveries. For example, did you know that a 14-year-old boy discovered the 95% complete skeleton of Bambiraptor, one of the key specimens helping paleontologists understand the link between dinosaurs and birds? My daughter does, and she's already making plans for our next vacation to a dig site in the Hell Creek Formation in Montana (although in truth something like the Montana Dinosaur Trail might work better).

***Note: I wrote this review originally for my blog, caterpickles.com, but when I noticed there weren't any reviews on Amazon for this wonderful book, I pasted it here too. Enjoy! ***