Customer Reviews

Dino Wars: Discover the Deadliest Dinosaurs, Bloodiest Battles, and Super Survival Strategies of the Prehistoric World

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL: GETS KIDS INTERESTED IN LEARNING - READING & RESEARCH

This wonderfully illustrated hard-cover scouting report is our ticket to the dinosaur fantasy league of the mind. This 2005 publication is now only 7.18, and it looks like a $30. book. Dino Wars takes the intrinsic interest we seem to be born with, in dinosaurs, and literally strikes while the iron is hot by mating this interesting topic with a terrific theme that is inventively executed, and totally fascinating to children of all ages -- even baby boomers like me.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT:

Take Dinosaurs, and the plethera of annual pro sports scouting reports that entertain, and provide insight to sports fans from year to year, add a gladiator/ pro-wrestling lilt, and you've got "DINO WARS".

Traditionally, this most exciting topic, within the study of paleontology, has been incidentally and accidentally ruined from the get-go for kids. Simply putting the topic in a very dry setting [like the reference department in the small print section], and ignoring the intellectual curiousity that children bring to the educational table, is how adults have successfully hidden the awesome subject of dinosaurs, and natural history from our curious young. Occasionally, a Steven Spielberg will bring us a "Jurassic Park" or the BBC will allow us to actually experience the "Walking With Dinosaurs" series. In essence, those films illustrated literally, how dinosaurs could be a compelling subject for children of all ages. Now, with Dino Wars, that compulsion is being turned into a magical learning and reading tool, by inserting that same brand of excitment into an educational book that previously has only been experienced through epic films.

THE RESULT IS ---- THE CGI OF THE IMAGINATION [how is the book organized]

1]- First, Sets-up "RULES FOR ENGAGEMENT"; 6 criteria, that when averaged, equal every dinosaurs: "DANGER LEVEL"!

----- These criteria are called "BATTLE TACTICS" and include;
STENGTH, ARMOR, SPEED, AGILITY, SCARINESS & SPECIAL SKILLS - all equally weighted and explained in producing the "DANGER LEVEL."

2]- Defines "THE COMBAT ZONES"; Paleozoic, Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Eras.

3]- Organized by Era, dinosaur match-ups fill the rest of the text, all completely color illustrated, and also include illusrated detailed text before each Eras' combatants. The match-ups are chronological, organized by Era, but also include the "Ruling Reptiles" that pre-dated the dinosaurs by about 100 million years.

Logic, and predictable reason permeates this text throughout. Consistent organization which also utilizes systematic illustrations, and comparisons lends a critical structural integrity to the entire work, making it both highly coherent, and subtly simple to use as either a guide or text. In essence, the same format, and kind of information is available in the same level of detail for each, and every dinosaur, and each and every Era, from cover-to-cover.


BOTTOM LINE:

Anyone, but children especially will be drawn to, excited by, and will benefit from, Dino Wars. First, Dino Wars takes full advantage of a child's fundamental preference for combining cool illustrations with reading material. Second, it truly promes and kindles the imagination. Third, it instills the interest and rudimentary techniques for sorting information, and investigating it in a manner that may lead a child to develop interests in academic pursuits and research of all kind.

CLOSING THOUGHTS:
THE CREATION OF EXCITEMENT & INTEREST IN DINOSAURS HAS FINALLY EVOLVED INTO BOOKS!

I was so impressed by this volume, which I have read alongside other non-fiction dinosaur material, that frankly I can't figure out why this book isn't on everybody's shelf. Simply stated, "Dino Wars : The Dinosaurs' Biggest, Baddest Battles" by Jinny Johnson, is essentially the "Chased By Dinosaurs" of children's books. I hope, and look forward to more from this very promising author.

This is a very different way to present information on dinosaurs for young people. Kind of a "versus" story on dinosaur predators and prey. The picture of T-Rex (on the cover) with three fingers on its hands is inaccurate and distracting.

Excellent book. My 10 year old had requested this book for his recent birthday. I was hesitant because the price at the local bookstore was so high. Amazon came through though and I purchased it for less than half of what it was selling for locally. My son was thrilled with the book. He picked it up and read it for hours on his birthday.

Dino Wars is the best! It's a lot like your in a fighting arena watching the action as the dinosaurs pit themselves' against each other in a knock-out, dragged-out brawl to see who will become the champ. pick this book out and LLLLLLLLET'S GET READY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Three words: Buy this book! Seriously, if you want kids to read and research on their own, then this is the type of book that can get them to do it. Why can't learning be both comprehensive as well as entertaining? Textbooks almost by definition are boring, this book is anything but dull.

The author designed Dino Wars to take advantage of today's popular entertainment, namely role playing games and televised competitive battles. Anyone familiar with either paper-based or computer based role playing games will recognize the format used for each dinosaur's profile, which includes vital statistics, distinguishing features, combat history, and battle tactics. The "danger level" is a relativistic score based on the dinosaur's adaptations for battle and defense. Several hypothetical scenarios between dinosaurs of the same period are presented in terrific detail. Who can resist finding out the results between a massive Moschops and a pack of Lycaenops? Who will win - the extremely fast running Gallimimus or the huge and strong Tarbosaurus?

Yes, the book is hugely entertaining, but the science is also first-rate. Johnson consulted with Professor Michael J. Benton, a professor of vertebrate paleontology and the head of the department of earth sciences at Bristol University, England. (Benton was also a consultant for BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs.) All the information that you would want for students this age is provided, but it may be under slightly different titles. Instead of another long, boring chapter on geologic time, and the difference between eras and periods, there's a section on "Combat Zones." But, the outlines of the zones: Paleozoic, Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous include all the basic information that you would generally expect. Rather than yet another lecture about adaptations, the author provided "Battle Tactics" and the equivalent to skill levels. While the presentation is very pop culture, the information is both comprehensive and realistic. For instance, there were no "fantasy matches" between two dinosaurs from different eras that would never have met.
Dino Wars is a curriculum bargain.

Books are generally very expensive, but Dino Wars's list price is quite reasonable. I've also seen it sold new online for cheaper. While students (and adults) can't resist flipping through and reading it on their own, I'd highly recommend instructors to use this book as a basis for long-term projects. Older students (grades 6-10) who are familiar with role playing games can design an elaborate gaming system using the statistics and real scientific information found in this book. Or students could design their own battle scenarios and have to justify their results. What a refreshing change from the typical "cut-and-paste" reports with which teachers are typically plagued.

I don't give many books the highest rating, but Dino War's unique appeal, strong scientific basis, and reasonable price certainly justifies it.

My 11 year old son loves this book. He has taken it out of his school library for weeks at a time, so I gave him one for Christmas. He creates "battle cards" based on the dinosaurs and "battles" them like they are Pokemon or Yugiho.

My kids loved it and they can't let go.