EXPLORING DINOSAURS

A roundup of, mostly, the usual (extinct) suspects with basic facts to go along.

McDonald sets the scene with looks at the three periods of the Mesozoic era plus a diverse trio of generic paleontologists at work. She then goes on to introduce 18 dinosaurs, mostly paired on the page or spread but not always to scale—some in brief, others with fact boxes and somewhat longer descriptions—from the very early Nyasasaurus parringtoni to the semiaquatic Spinosaurus. Young dinophiles may enjoy chewing over the occasional discussion question (“Would you rather have a long neck or a spiked tail?”), but those who relish scenes of rending and tearing in their prehistoric fare will be disappointed by the bland art, which presents its toothy subjects in static poses, rendered with pale patterns and tones (except for the multihued plates running along the back of Stegosaurus, the name banners outshine the creatures they identify) and often set against minimally detailed natural settings. A set of young museum visitors clustering around a skeleton in the final scene is racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A bland also-ran with anemic art.