Dinosaurs in Your Backyard: The Coolest, Scariest Creatures Ever Found in the USA! [Hardcover]

Hugh Brewster (Author), Alan Barnard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Did you know that the first dinosaur fossil ever found in the United States was discovered in New Jersey? Or that the Great Plains used to be swarming with swimming sea monsters? Readers can imagine what was in their own backyards seventy million years ago as they read this one-of-a-kind dino adventure.
 
Unlike other dinosaur books, bestselling nonfiction author Hugh Brewster’s text focuses only on species found in North America. Complete with a timeline, a glossary, a bibliography, an index, and a list of museums and national parks, Dinosaurs in Your Backyard encourages young readers to imagine what their surroundings were like millions of years ago.

F&P level: T

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This informative book—apparently the U.S. version of Breakout Dinosaurs, which was published in Canada in 2008—transports readers back to a time when North America was defined by substantially different coastlines and divided by a broad inland seaway. Introducing some of the dinosaurs living there, such as Tyrannosaurus rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Diplodocus, and Brachiosaurus, the book uses double-page spreads that typically describe one animal in a paragraph of descriptive or dramatic text as well as a section of fast facts relating its size, weight, era, diet, and range. Large, painterly illustrations set the tone, supported by smaller maps and photos of fossils. The occasional dramatic tooth-and-claw scene is more than balanced by the weight of accessible, interesting information provided in the illustrations as well as the text. A time line, a pronunciation guide, bibliographies, and a list of dinosaur exhibits in the U.S. and Canada conclude this colorful introduction to North American dinosaurs. Grades 3-5. --Carolyn Phelan

About the Author

Hugh Brewster is the award-winning author of many nonfiction picture books, including The Other Mozart,Anastasia’s Album, and Inside the Titanic. He lives in Toronto, Canada. Alan Barnard is a dinosaur enthusiast who has illustrated many popular children’s books. He also lives in Canada.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810970996
• ISBN-13: 978-0810970991
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,518,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The only dino book you'll ever need to own, December 28, 2011

By 

Deborah Sandford "Marian the Librarian" (Madison, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dinosaurs in Your Backyard: The Coolest, Scariest Creatures Ever Found in the USA! (Hardcover)

This book is a must for young dinosaur fans, especially those who are intrigued by imagining a fossil may be found in their own backyard. It could happen! The highly attractive layout(colors, graphics, sidebars, text) grabs readers to search the pages for every tidbit of information, from tyrannosaurs to sea monsters over Kansas. It ends with a short chapter on `Wipeout!' aka what happened to the dinosaurs. A timeline, pronunciation guide, glossary, index, and more importantly, Where to See Dinosaurs in museums and parks in the U.S. and Canada make this the quintessential book for a personal collection and library or classroom as well.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for American Kids or Kids who like dinos in general, August 25, 2009

By 

Sigmund Freud - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dinosaurs in Your Backyard: The Coolest, Scariest Creatures Ever Found in the USA! (Hardcover)

This book is excellent for starters. My son was interested in the different dinosaurs and their names. He is 11 and has been a dino fan since he was 7 so he's pretty much an expert. The illustrations are beautiful and the text informative.

4.0 out of 5 stars attractive presentation, May 19, 2009

By 

Kirsten G. Cutler (Santa Rosa, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dinosaurs in Your Backyard: The Coolest, Scariest Creatures Ever Found in the USA! (Hardcover)

Brewster, Hugh. Dinosaurs in your backyard: the coolest, scariest creatures ever found in the USA! Illustrated by Alan Barnard. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2009.

Children will enjoy perusing this book about North American dinosaurs; it opens with an eye-catching double spread of three dinosaur heads filled with sharp scary-looking teeth. This visually attractive presentation describes various types of dinosaurs succinctly; it displays large bold font, short paragraphs of information headed by colored print, and inviting illustrations. Particularly interesting is a map representing North America seventy million years ago that shows the presence of a large inland sea. A chronology, pronunciation guide, glossary, suggestions for additional titles to read, locations to view dinosaur reconstructions, an index and a bibliography are included.