Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs (Hardcover)

~ (Author), S. D. Schindler (Illustrator) "LONG, LONG AGO, before people knew anything about dinosaurs, giant bones were found in China..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4–Kudlinski presents a number of early dino theories–a spike on the nose of the Iguanodon, drawings that depicted dinosaurs dragging their tails in the mud and running on spraddled, lizardlike legs–and shows, in her simple text, how further discoveries disproved these, and other, assumptions. She includes data on present-day concerns with such topics as scales and feathers, coloration, and infant care. She discusses the demise of the dinosaurs, the probable evolution of birds, and the fact that some books still on library shelves and even for sale in bookstores may be promulgating old, disproved theories. One small carp: lizards do not just lay their eggs on the ground, then leave. They tend to dig holes or provide other shelter for their eggs first, and then, yes, they leave. Graced with colorful, realistic illustrations that reflect the text, this book is simple, attractive, and informative, and a take-off point for a discussion on the scientific method.–Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* K-Gr. 3. What could be more heartening to children than the unabashed admission that grown-ups make mistakes? Science has had its share of theories once accepted as fact but later superseded, and the mystery of dinosaur fossils seems to have brought out the imaginative side of scientists. Beginning with the ancient Chinese, who decided that dinosaur fossils came from dragons that still lived, the story fast-forwards to nineteenth-century scientists, who guessed that Iguanodon's sharp, conical bone was a spike on its head, rather than a spur on its hand. One mistaken idea after another is examined and illustrated with an ink drawing juxtaposed against a single-color background. Further information comes to light, and the information is corrected on a page showing a dinosaur drawing tinted with full-color washes. Intelligently designed and imaginatively conceived, the artwork makes the text more understandable and the whole book more beautiful. It also reflects the outlook of the text, portraying the scientists of each generation as earnest, sometimes puzzled searchers who did the best they could with the evidence available. The ending returns to the Chinese beliefs, stating that if birds are the descendants of dinosaurs, then they still live. Best of all, the closing paragraph acknowledges that the search is not over yet: the children fascinated by this book may one day find new answers to old questions about the dinosaurs. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (September 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525469788
• ISBN-13: 978-0525469780
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #658,662 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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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 Informative for Both Adults and Children!, January 8, 2008

By	George Buttner "Agent0042" (Dayton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Boy, Were We Wrong About the Dinosaurs!" is a wonderful picture book that teaches us about past perceptions about dinosaurs, and where the research is headed today. In this book, you'll that there have been a lot of thoughts about dinosaurs in the past that may not actually be true -- such as that dinosaurs were purely cold-blooded, or that dinosaurs were all really scaly. The book has wonderful illustrations to reinforce its points, and covers the basics with just enough detail to keep all audiences captivated.

Perhaps you remember that dinosaur report you had to give him when you were a student back in school. You told your classmates all those facts you read about the dinosaurs, only now to discover that many of them have turned out not to be true. Boy were your teachers wrong about the dinosaurs!

But what this book is telling us, and it's a great lesson to take away, is that we all do the best with what we can. Just keep an open mind, remember that science is ongoing proces, and don't be too certain of anything. Perhaps, if we keep these things in mind, we'll someday find out the real truth about the dinosaurs, or something very close to it.

A wonderful, thoughtful, and informative book. It's inpsired me to look into reading some of the author's other relases, such as "Boy, Were We Wrong About the Human Body!"

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So many ideas in one book, June 15, 2007

By	Chuckela "chuckela" (Knoxville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

We just got this book from the library today and I came online to buy it because I just love it. It gives a little information about a lot of topics, without pushing anything too hard. Most importantly to my taste, it describes the constant progression of scientific understanding. But the book also touches gently on various cultural interpretations of fossils, the archaeology involved in finding the fossils, the continued development of technological tools for studying the same physical evidence, the hope of the next generation of minds, and the certainty that change will come. Very succint too. My dino-loving-three-year-old and my very-precocious-six-year-old both absolutely loved it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book-I learned lots too!, February 26, 2007

By	Bookd (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

A student of mine picked this up at a dinosaur museum and I have since bought it for several children as a gift. It is so informative and the illustrations are great! I also bought one for infant my son for when he's older!