Reviews

Gr 2-4-- This easy reader is a quick introduction to paleontological history, covering general information on how fossils are formed and found, who discovered them, and some of the newer dinosaur theories deduced from these theories. Anecdotes about paleontologists' eccentricities and dinosaurs' quirks keep the text lively, without overwhelming readers with unnecessary details. Information about dinosaurs is up-to-date, and, despite standard textbook illustrations, the book provides a nice alternative to Parish's Dinosaur Time (Harper, 1974) or Milton's Dinosaur Days (Random, 1985). --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library

This informative entry in the Step into Reading series is a well-paced historical survey of paleontology. Readers learn of Mary Ann and Gideon Mantell's pivotal discovery of Iguanadon; the intense rivalries that characterized the 19th-century race for dinosaur discoveries in America's West; the vast amount of dinosaur remains yet to be studied by scientists; and current work of ``Dinosaur Jim'' Jensen, who discovered the Brachiosaurus, the Supersaurus and the Ultrasaurus. Many fascinating details are included in a chapter covering the how-to's of early dinosaur digs contrasted with today's technologically advanced, yet still labor-intensive world of scientific discovery. The book presents a great mix of lively narrative and satisfying facts, a perfect choice for newly independent readers. Ages 7-10. (May)