Dinosaurs

This is a fascinating book to review. I just discovered a while ago that when my son was young, I had purchased a boatload of Eyewitness Books for him. And I also found out that I had purchased quite a few in a Time Life series, called "A Child's First Library of Learning." This one, "Dinosaurs," can be fruitfully compared with the Eyewitness Books volume on the same subject. First, I think that the Eyewitness Books version is better for kids. I think that the illustrations are preferable; the language is pitched at a somewhat higher level; it has a more attractive look. Second, though, the Time Life volume is not without considerable virtue. The format is responses to a variety of questions about dinosaurs. Among these: "What were dinosaurs"? "What did dinosaurs eat?" "Which dinosaur could run fastest?" "How many eggs did a dinosaur lay?" "Why did dinosaurs die out?" And so on. This approach can work well for young readers, in that they will have questions, too, and those in the volume can guide them to the answers that they are looking for. All in all, then, this is a solid book. But if I had to choose, I'd go with the Eyewitness Books' version.

My 4 yr old son received this book as a gift and enjoys taking it on trips to pour over the info folded inside. He really gets a kick out of unfolding and refolding the pages. The book also does a nice job of helping him put dinosaur size into perspective. It is a great choice for a small dino lover.