Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5^-8. This volume from the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series explains how scientists use fossils to answer questions about dinosaurs. Examining the fossil remains of Maiasaura and Oviraptor nests, they make deductions about the nurturing characteristics of these dinosaurs and compare them with reptile and bird species today. Many teachers and parents will welcome the book's emphasis on how scientists make their educated guesses as a good antidote to the more common practice of presenting guesswork and theory as fact. Washburn's beautifully shaded pastel illustrations, using glowing other-worldy colors, create eye-catching scenes. The title is catchy and the presentation is good; a fine book for dinosaur fans. --Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-This easy-to-read series entry will be welcomed with deserved delight by young dinophiles. It is primarily a study of Maiasaura or "good mother lizards," whose parenting capabilities have been well documented by field discoveries and museum research under the auspices of Dr. John "Jack" Horner. Soft illustrations in tones of salmon, blues, and lavenders provide vivid visualizations of long-ago landscapes and keep pace with the text as it explains what scientists know about these creatures' nesting and parenting behaviors (with a side look at Oviraptor and a mention of Troodon). Both text and illustrations have been "vetted" by Dr. Horner for accuracy and adherence to his interpretations. The book concludes with instructions for creating a "fossil" egg or bone from eggshells and plaster of Paris. Unfortunately, proper disposal instructions are not provided for any unused portions of the mixture. This title is easier for the read-alone set than Dr. Horner's own Maia: A Dinosaur Grows Up (Museum of the Rockies, 1998), far less demanding than Mark A. Norell and Lowell Dingus's A Nest of Dinosaurs: The Story of Oviraptor (Doubleday, 1999), and a most welcome addition to the ever-popular 567.9s.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4 This easy-to-read series entry will be welcomed with deserved delight by young dinophiles. It is primarily a study of Maiasaura or "good mother lizards," whose parenting capabilities have been well documented by field discoveries and museum research under the auspices of Dr. John "Jack" Horner. Soft illustrations in tones of salmon, blues, and lavenders provide vivid visualizations of long-ago landscapes and keep pace with the text as it explains what scientists know about these creatures' nesting and parenting behaviors (with a side look at Oviraptor and a mention of Troodon). Both text and illustrations have been "vetted" by Dr. Horner for accuracy and adherence to his interpretations. The book concludes with instructions for creating a "fossil" egg or bone from eggshells and plaster of Paris. Unfortunately, proper disposal instructions are not provided for any unused portions of the mixture. Easier for the read-alone set than Dr. Horner's own Maia: A Dinosaur Grows Up (Museum of the Rockies, 1998), far less demanding than Mark A. Norell and Lowell Dingus's A Nest of Dinosaurs: The Story of Oviraptor (Doubleday, 1999), and a most welcome addition to the ever-popular 567.9s. Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Acknowledging that scientists know little about prehistoric parental habits, the author focuses on maiasaurs, a dinosaur whose fossils seem to indicate a high degree of maternal care. Though color illustrations of the prehistoric creatures tend to have somewhat anthropomorphized expressions, the text is generally clear and informative. A project at the end of the book tells readers how to make their own fossil egg to excavate. From HORN BOOK Spring 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A highly accessible entry in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series that takes a look at baby dinosaurs, primarily maiasaurs and oviraptors. Zoehfeld (How Mountains are Made, 1995, etc.) explains how the current information on the peaceful, lizard-like dinosaurs who sipped from streams over 70 million years ago has been extrapolated from fossils, and that the rest is surmised from studying reptile and bird behavior and habits, which provide scientists with clues as to the nesting, nurturing of, and lives of baby dinosaurs. Hatching from small, oval eggs, the newborns ate berries while one member guarded the nest from meat-eating, nest-raiding predators. The author speculates as to the role of fossilized plants that covered the eggs of the maiasaurs and what the discovery of oviraptor skeletons may reveal about the feeding of the young. Washburn's illustrations take a nonthreatening to the subject, casting the rosy-toned dinosaurs as friendly rather than imposing. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-8)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
