Dinosaurs to Dodos: An Encyclopedia of Extinct Animals [Hardcover]

Don Lessem (Author), Jan Sovak (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

From the first microscope sea creatures to the Tasmanian wolf, this book traces all of extinct life. Each chapter covers the animals themselves, the processes that brought them to extinction, and the modern scientific discoveries that reveal their lost words.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Although this book provides a nice gallery of extinct animals, from trilobites to passenger pigeons, it is also useful as an overview of evolutionary life on Earth. Lessem's expertise is on prehistoric creatures, and the realms of dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals are amply represented here, as are less-familiar creatures, such as the ones fossilized in the Burgess Shale, which make Dr. Seuss's menageries look tame. Take for instance Hallucigenia, a creature with so many tentacles and legs that scientists couldn't figure out which end was up. Flying critters, fish, and insects are also included and tidbits of details (for example, pictures showing the land mammals that gradually evolved into whales) make this book good for browsing as well as for homework. The full-color illustrations are lively and realistic, as far as what is known about these life-forms. Students may need to rely on other sources if they are doing research on a particular creature (there's only one page on the passenger pigeon), but this title will certainly whet their appetites.
Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The impressive talents of archeologist Lessum and illustrator Jan Sovak combine in this informative, visually stirring overview. Moving chronologically through 12 time periods, the book traces major historic phenomena that resulted in the extinction of various species. Each chapter comprises a few clearly written articles describing the time period, concentrating mostly on how geological changes on Earth developed new species and destroyed others. Useful sidebars and dazzling illustrations add dimension to the text, and a gallery of extinct creatures from the period appears at the end of each short chapter. Accompanying the clear and colorful graphics are captions noting pronunciation, life span, and other information, as well as a one-sentence description of some unique quality about the animal or explanation for its extinction. In barely more than 100 pages, the book offers much for researching or browsing. Roger Leslie

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590316842
• ISBN-13: 978-0590316842
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Fossils
  • #48 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Children's
  • #51 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Veterinary

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smarter than the average dinosaur book!, February 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Dinosaurs to Dodos: An Encyclopedia of Extinct Animals (Hardcover)

My first-grader brought this home from the school library and we both loved it. It's well organized, clearly written, and tells you stuff that's not in every dinosaur book you already own. And the illustrations are spectacular. A real find for fans of dinosaurs and other mysterious creatures.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exhaustive Research, July 10, 1999

By 

Kelly Milner Halls ([e-mail]) (Spokane, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dinosaurs to Dodos: An Encyclopedia of Extinct Animals (Hardcover)

As a writer acquainted with the grueling research that went into the production of this book, I can tell you, Don Lessem has laid out a remarkable overview of prehistoria in DINOSAURS TO DODOS. As a fellow writer and dinosaur enthusiast, I wish him great success with the project. It's a must for any elementary school library.