By Heather Sanders.
My nine-year-old Kenny moves through areas of interest sloooooowly and methodically. In the past three years he has transitioned from the rainforest and insects, on to dinosaurs, and most recently, human anatomy.
When we were in the process of our annual clean sweep we came across Stephanie Stansbie’s “DINOSAUR”, a book that retained a prominent place on Kenny’s bedside table for months.
At a generous 12 x 10 inches, “DINOSAUR” rivals many of Kenny’s favorite DK books in size alone. It is one of those books that simply pop off the shelf (we first saw it displayed facing out on an endcap).
The title’s flashy gold lettering is a bold contrast against the violently vibrant Tyrannosaurus rex who, for all practical purposes, looks as though he just ripped through his prey with bloodied, razor-sharp teeth. Not just a visual experience, the texture of the T-rex’s mottled skin can be felt across the front cover as well.
This book is designed to be experienced with several interactive elements in its 32 pages. You don’t just read it, you pull letters from pockets, open tri-folds, side flaps, and flip through attached mini-booklets.
The book is introduced by a letter from the fictitious Henry R. Gideon, a Professor of Paleontology at Tilgate University in Sussex England, to a Dr. Brown.
Gideon informs Dr. Brown of his retirement and asks him to “accept this treasured handbook of mine – a summation of a lifetime.” The book is intended to reflect his life’s work with “the colossal monsters of the ancient world.”
Looking much like a scrapbook, “DINOSAUR” tucks in “Dinosaur Discoveries” and how fossils are made. It also includes a fold-out time chart giving a visual illustration of the different Eras and Periods, identifying where it is believed that each dinosaur falls on the timeline.
One of the pages, “Dinosaur World” opens with a large map in the centerfold. Dinosaurs are placed on the map marking where they lived.
The mini-booklet, “Expeditions in the charge of Henry Gideon” is one of Kenny’s favorite parts of the book. When asked what specifically he liked about it he said:
“The pages show the different layers of an Iguanodon. One picture shows the skin, another one shows the muscles, and the last one shows the bones with the intestines inside. I like looking at it all to see where all the stuff is on a dinosaur. It’s a lot different from where things are on me. I think it’s because they walked on all fours most of the time.”
Since this is a collection of the fictional Henry Gideon, his notes appear across all the “findings”.
Another booklet, “The Tilgate Naturalist: Selected Dinosaur Theories, 1875-1925″, was illustrated with a post-it stuck atop it with handwriting that reads, “All now disproved”. This is another favorite of Kenny’s because he said he likes to hear what people believed before new evidence disproved those ideas.
Kenny told me, “People thought long neck dinosaurs were very weak and and had to stay mostly in lakes because they were so heavy. They also didn’t know they had stones in their stomach to break down their food so they didn’t know how they could eat enough to keep them alive.”
Each new spread covers a different subject matter; dinosaurs attacking, how dinosaurs defended themselves, the guesswork regarding their appearance, as well as the more bizarre aspects of some of the known dinosaurs.
And of course, the dinosaur book could not be complete without discussing the “Monsters of the Deep” – the marine reptiles who dominated the seas.
The pages are high quality, very thick and smoothly textured. Clearly designed as a feast for the eyes, I guarantee with each page turn you will find yourself looking for a new interactive element.
Kenny’s “absoluuuuuuuuuuuute favorite” part of the book is found in the “A-Z Ridiculous Extinction Theories” pocket toward the back. “I mean c’mon,” he said, “Who would truly believe that dinosaurs are extinct because of the methane gas from their farts? FARTS?! Really?”
These cards definitely beckon a few chuckles and truly define this as a children’s book. What kid (and some adults) can resist laughing at farts?
The back cover closes with an updated letter from Henry to Dr. Brown, as well as an envelope marked “Scale diagram and life-size footprints.”
Slid inside the envelope is a double-sided, fold out poster. One side shows dinosaurs and the other side displays dinosaur footprints alongside other dinosaurs’ prints, as well as a children’s shoe measurement for comparison.
Our poster is a bit haggard and worn, having been slid in and out multiple times.
“DINOSAUR” was published in 2009 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, so while it can be purchased anywhere, I was also able to find it at the HalfPrice Books Marketplace by the ISBN #s (ISBN: 0316035831 / ISBN-13: 9780316035835).
Kenny loves these enormous coffee table size books packed with information and beautiful photography and illustrations. If you have any you can recommend, please list them in the comments below!
OMSH/Heather L. Sanders is “Momma” to three kids, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny. When not homeschooling, or writing about homeschooling, Heather is busy designing websites or going on dates with her husband Jeff, the love of her life.