Dixon, Dougal. Dougal Dixon’s Dinosaurs. Boyds Mills Press, 2007.
*From Bird Library Collection

Annotation
Dixon, an internationally recognized authority on dinosaurs, does a great job in updating this 3rd edition of his book by introducing 12 new dinosaurs that have been ‘unearthed’ since the previous edition was released in 1998. The book opens with a brief description of the earth before dinosaurs, then describes 38 dinosaur species, each with their own double-page layout. Dixon gives us a closer look at dinosaur anatomy, their senses, how they communicated, their family life, their extinction and the discovery of their fossils. The book also includes a glossary as well as a list of FAQs.

Artwork
This book is filled with many large, colorful pictures, including 38 double-page layouts highlighting particular dinosaur species. Dixon is careful to point out that the specifics of how dinosaurs actually looked are questionable, but that more and more is learned over time. For example: there is more concrete evidence today that some dinosaurs had feathers, so more feathered dinosaurs appear in this edition of the book. The book also includes clear photographs of modern day animals whose attributes or behaviors are compared to the dinosaurs.

Who is the book appropriate for? Why? How would you use the book?
The book is best used with 4th-7th graders. They will find the book has a good balance of information and illustrations. Kids this age are interested in seeking books about their specific interests, so any dinosaur lovers will like this book, even ones younger than 4th grade. As a source of information for research, it is appropriate for 4-7th grades, but beyond that a more in-depth book would be desired. 3rd graders often seek specific information to answer questions, and may even go to books beyond their own reading ability, like this one, to search out answers.