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Dinosaurs: By The Numbers – A Captivating Science Book About Extinct Giants for Kids
Caldecott Honor winner Steve Jenkins introduces By the Numbers infographic readers, chock full of incredible infographs and stunning, full color cut-paper illustrations. Dinosaurs will explore the world of these extinct giants, still living large in our imaginations today.
Through infographics, illustrations, facts, and figures, readers will learn about the giants that roamed the earth millions of years ago, but that still captivate their imaginations: Dinosaurs.
Discover some of the most fascinating aspects of dinosaurs through astonishing numbers: the varying sizes and shapes of dinosaurs, timelines of when they roamed the earth, charts comparing the fastest dinos with the speedy animals of today, maps of where these giant reptiles lived across the globe, and so much more.
With his signature style, Steve Jenkins explores the most fascinating fields of natural science.
Through infographics, illustrations, facts, and figures, readers will learn about the giants that roamed the earth millions of years ago, but that still captivate their imaginations: Dinosaurs.
Discover some of the most fascinating aspects of dinosaurs through astonishing numbers: the varying sizes and shapes of dinosaurs, timelines of when they roamed the earth, charts comparing the fastest dinos with the speedy animals of today, maps of where these giant reptiles lived across the globe, and so much more.
With his signature style, Steve Jenkins explores the most fascinating fields of natural science.
40 pages, Paperback
Published July 16, 2019
3 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Steve Jenkins
148 books240 followersSteve was born in 1952 in Hickory, North Carolina. His father, who would become a physics professor and astronomer (and recently his co-author on a book about the Solar System), was in the military and, later, working on science degrees at several different universities. We moved often. Steve lived in North Carolina, Panama, Virginia, Kansas, and Colorado. Wherever he lived, he kept a menagerie of lizards, turtles, spiders, and other animals, collected rocks and fossils, and blew things up in his small chemistry lab.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 12, 2025
Love dinosaurs and love clear, informative infographics — so this slim book was a no-brainer for me and my grandson, who is just reaching his early dino years. While not as comprehensive as Jenkins' similar (and lengthier) "Our World By the Numbers" or "Animals BTN," this still included some eye-opening graphics that put things in greater perspective than I had previously considered them. Most impressive was this chart, which showed the scope of the losses during the two mass vertebrate extinctions, as well as how the various surviving classes developed and expanded:
…but also interesting were just these diagrams showing relative size of a range of dinosaurs (particularly as compared to a human, grizzly bear and elephant), as well as relative skull sizes, (note how frickin' HUGE the triceratops skull is; also, in both charts note just how surprisingly large saltwater crocodiles are — yikes!):
…but also interesting were just these diagrams showing relative size of a range of dinosaurs (particularly as compared to a human, grizzly bear and elephant), as well as relative skull sizes, (note how frickin' HUGE the triceratops skull is; also, in both charts note just how surprisingly large saltwater crocodiles are — yikes!):
April 19, 2020
Dinosaurs by the Numbers is an excellent and informative nonfiction text from award-winning author Steve Jenkins. I read this book as an Ebook and even then the plethora of information presented through charts and diagrams is a sight to behold. The book takes you through facts about dinosaurs that can be presented as a number. Questions are posed and then answered in a colorful display. Were you wondering how much bigger a brontosaurus was than a human? Jenkins presents this information through helpful displays of to scale models within the pages of this informative text. Every two pages of the book give a display of information about dinosaurs which I believe makes it a great book for students in grades 3-5 to work with mathematical data and information.
One way that I would use this book in my classroom would be a day by day read aloud. Each day I would redound a section of the book and complete a KWL chart with my students about the section that we read that day. Another way that I may use this book in my classroom is in research. Letting students complete a project on dinosaurs and backing up their information with sources from the book.
For me, this book was a WOW book because of how the information was being presented through the text. Some informational books can be text-heavy and that can put off students that may not be prepared for it. This book was the perfect mix of text to graphic display and had a smooth flow that made me believe students would enjoy reading it and that they would even be excited to read it.
One way that I would use this book in my classroom would be a day by day read aloud. Each day I would redound a section of the book and complete a KWL chart with my students about the section that we read that day. Another way that I may use this book in my classroom is in research. Letting students complete a project on dinosaurs and backing up their information with sources from the book.
For me, this book was a WOW book because of how the information was being presented through the text. Some informational books can be text-heavy and that can put off students that may not be prepared for it. This book was the perfect mix of text to graphic display and had a smooth flow that made me believe students would enjoy reading it and that they would even be excited to read it.
March 30, 2020
Dinosaurs by the Numbers is an informational book of infographics, as Steve Jenkins describes it. This means it is filled with interesting facts and figures about dinosaurs using various visuals and diagrams. While light on the text in parts, the pictures speak a thousand words. Each few pages, Jenkins shares new facts, comparisons, and information about different dinosaurs. This text answers many of the most common questions of dinosaurs including, “are dinosaurs around today?” After reading this book, you will know so much more about who the Dinosaurs were!
What I liked most about this book by Steve Jenkins is the inclusion of a glossary. As you are reading, Jenkins notes words, in blue, that are often difficult or unique to the paleontology world. Then, in the back of the book he defines them for the reader. This is a super helpful tool included in his book. Many informational texts include glossaries, and so using this book to have the discussion with students about why glossaries are important, can help build their knowledge of how various kinds of texts are structured.
This book is great for a 3rd or 4th grade classroom because it is light on the text, but it involves the complex thought of understanding infographics. In North Carolina, 4th grade students study the standard 4.E.2 which asks them to “understand the use of fossils and changes in the surface of the earth as evidence of the history of Earth as its changing life forms.” In his book, Jenkins talks a lot about fossils, their formation and why they are significant (as well as the fossils of dinosaurs found around the world). This book can be paired as a resource of this science unit. It would be interesting to also have a discussion about the importance of infographics, and what they tell us (before reading the book). Then, students will read, and create their own infographic based on a question they have about another animal species (including dinosaurs!). This activity can tie in writing, reading, and even mathematical standards, creating an interactive integrated lesson!
This Steve Jenkins book is a WOW book to me because it included so much information in such a compact and simple way. The pictures of the Dinosaurs were so cool, and reading this book gave me more of an insight into their world. It can be challenging to compare such an abstract concept of dinosaurs (because no one has seen them before) to an actual human, but Jenkins does a great job of illustrating the differences. Plus, I know a few more facts and figures about Dinosaurs that I did not already know!
What I liked most about this book by Steve Jenkins is the inclusion of a glossary. As you are reading, Jenkins notes words, in blue, that are often difficult or unique to the paleontology world. Then, in the back of the book he defines them for the reader. This is a super helpful tool included in his book. Many informational texts include glossaries, and so using this book to have the discussion with students about why glossaries are important, can help build their knowledge of how various kinds of texts are structured.
This book is great for a 3rd or 4th grade classroom because it is light on the text, but it involves the complex thought of understanding infographics. In North Carolina, 4th grade students study the standard 4.E.2 which asks them to “understand the use of fossils and changes in the surface of the earth as evidence of the history of Earth as its changing life forms.” In his book, Jenkins talks a lot about fossils, their formation and why they are significant (as well as the fossils of dinosaurs found around the world). This book can be paired as a resource of this science unit. It would be interesting to also have a discussion about the importance of infographics, and what they tell us (before reading the book). Then, students will read, and create their own infographic based on a question they have about another animal species (including dinosaurs!). This activity can tie in writing, reading, and even mathematical standards, creating an interactive integrated lesson!
This Steve Jenkins book is a WOW book to me because it included so much information in such a compact and simple way. The pictures of the Dinosaurs were so cool, and reading this book gave me more of an insight into their world. It can be challenging to compare such an abstract concept of dinosaurs (because no one has seen them before) to an actual human, but Jenkins does a great job of illustrating the differences. Plus, I know a few more facts and figures about Dinosaurs that I did not already know!
September 14, 2020
A fun little book filled with fun facts, by the numbers.
Learn the timeline of dinosaurs, how big they were, how they compared to humans, mammals, and other dinosaurs, and more!
Used to supplement our K-homeschool dino unit!
Learn the timeline of dinosaurs, how big they were, how they compared to humans, mammals, and other dinosaurs, and more!
Used to supplement our K-homeschool dino unit!
June 11, 2020
I love Jenkins and this book is plenty informative, but I doubt students would pick it up over a more realistic portrayal.
May 8, 2025
Not much to say about this book ( www.amazon.com/review/R3C6AGAJHZ61H/r... ): 1/5
There isn't much to say about Jenkins's "Dinosaurs: By The Numbers" (henceforth DB) that I didn't already say in my reviews of "Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution" ( www.goodreads.com/review/show/3517518136 ) & "Apex Predators: The World's Deadliest Hunters, Past and Present" ( www.goodreads.com/review/show/6258535667 ), hence the title of this review. However, I will note the following things:
-As indicated by the Dilophosaurus on the front cover (For comparison: https://dinomuseum.ca/2019/04/the-rea... ) & the T. rex on the back, not much has changed since Jenkins's previous books. The main thing to note is that, like Pim's "Dinosaurs―The Grand Tour" (which I reviewed: www.goodreads.com/review/show/5768799660 ), most of DB's dinos are just silhouettes, not actual reconstructions.*
-Unlike Jenkins's previous books, there IS a cladogram in DB ( https://archive.ph/OhtcS ). Unfortunately, it's a crazy mess of a cladogram for reasons best summed up in the 2018 version of Holtz's "Eggs Conquer the Land: Amniote Life Before the Dinosaurs" ( https://web.archive.org/web/201905280... ).
-It's also worth mentioning that a lot of DB's text contradicts itself (E.g. It's claimed that Velociraptor's top speed was 25 mph on page 14 & 40 mph on page 26; Also, it's claimed that the end-Cretaceous extinction killed 80% of animal species on page 32 & 75% on page 35).
*It's also worth mentioning that the silhouettes aren't even consistent. This is especially apparent with Velociraptor ( https://archive.ph/uaaVl ): Some of them are Jenkins's DB work; Others are Gabriel Lio's "Dinosaur-world" work ( https://web.archive.org/web/200608181... ); Still others are actually 1 of Sibbick's outdated Dromaeosaurus ( www.sciencephoto.com/media/420641/vie... ).
There isn't much to say about Jenkins's "Dinosaurs: By The Numbers" (henceforth DB) that I didn't already say in my reviews of "Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution" ( www.goodreads.com/review/show/3517518136 ) & "Apex Predators: The World's Deadliest Hunters, Past and Present" ( www.goodreads.com/review/show/6258535667 ), hence the title of this review. However, I will note the following things:
-As indicated by the Dilophosaurus on the front cover (For comparison: https://dinomuseum.ca/2019/04/the-rea... ) & the T. rex on the back, not much has changed since Jenkins's previous books. The main thing to note is that, like Pim's "Dinosaurs―The Grand Tour" (which I reviewed: www.goodreads.com/review/show/5768799660 ), most of DB's dinos are just silhouettes, not actual reconstructions.*
-Unlike Jenkins's previous books, there IS a cladogram in DB ( https://archive.ph/OhtcS ). Unfortunately, it's a crazy mess of a cladogram for reasons best summed up in the 2018 version of Holtz's "Eggs Conquer the Land: Amniote Life Before the Dinosaurs" ( https://web.archive.org/web/201905280... ).
-It's also worth mentioning that a lot of DB's text contradicts itself (E.g. It's claimed that Velociraptor's top speed was 25 mph on page 14 & 40 mph on page 26; Also, it's claimed that the end-Cretaceous extinction killed 80% of animal species on page 32 & 75% on page 35).
*It's also worth mentioning that the silhouettes aren't even consistent. This is especially apparent with Velociraptor ( https://archive.ph/uaaVl ): Some of them are Jenkins's DB work; Others are Gabriel Lio's "Dinosaur-world" work ( https://web.archive.org/web/200608181... ); Still others are actually 1 of Sibbick's outdated Dromaeosaurus ( www.sciencephoto.com/media/420641/vie... ).
April 16, 2022
Dinosaurs: By The Numbers by Steve Jenkins is an excellent non-fiction book for elementary students of all ages. I love the way Jenkins incorporates fun facts about dinosaurs and visuals to educate and captivate readers. In addition, I appreciate that the book educates the reader with all sorts of information and includes anything from a timeline of when different dinosaurs existed to speed and size comparisons of dinosaurs to animals today.
Dinosaurs: By The Numbers can be used in various elementary grades but will be most effective for younger students in kindergarten through third grade. This book will work best as a read-aloud that includes students sharing their insight and learnings of the many different dinosaurs encountered within the book. The read-aloud incorporates Social Studies as students study the locations and habitats of various dinosaurs. Students' Math skills will also develop as they compare the size and speed of dinosaurs and animals today.
Dinosaurs: By The Numbers can be used in various elementary grades but will be most effective for younger students in kindergarten through third grade. This book will work best as a read-aloud that includes students sharing their insight and learnings of the many different dinosaurs encountered within the book. The read-aloud incorporates Social Studies as students study the locations and habitats of various dinosaurs. Students' Math skills will also develop as they compare the size and speed of dinosaurs and animals today.
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November 14, 2022This book is great because it describes many different types of dinosaurs through numbers and different sizes. It is an informative book with collage-type pictures in the book. I would recommend this book because it is informative and interesting for children.
August 19, 2024
Amazing amounts of information can be gained by infographics and this book will capture all of the dinosaur fans you have in your schools! I have fact loving students who have asked for every one of this series!
Read
July 22, 2019Fast facts about dinos with basic infographics. Sadly limited in pictures of feathered dinosaurs.
August 5, 2019
Some graphics interesting, some more confusing. Not a must-purchase.
September 1, 2019
Jenkins is the master of informational books for kids. This series continues his reign. Copious back matter, thought provoking topics, just down right cool.
September 10, 2019
Awesome Dino facts!
October 5, 2019
This book is SOOO TINY!!!! I was hoping it would be bigger so I could read it for storytime.
November 6, 2019
A good brief look that helps sort and organize all that random dinosaur knowledge. Some might miss the facts, but I think the visuals on size and time give a great framework.
April 15, 2020
Quick read out of the love for Dinosaurs. I like visuals and this book has them!
December 16, 2023
Very simple infographics. Would be a good introduction for a unit about making infographics or learning about dinosaurs.
February 28, 2022
Genre: Informational Nonfiction
Grade Range: 2nd - 4th
This was a very informative book. It taught me about all different aspects of dinosaurs; types of dinosaurs, their speed, size, diets, fossils, etc. I really liked that the pictures showed the different sizes of the dinosaurs and did so by comparing it to the size of a human. It was really helpful that the book had a glossary in the back to help explain more. This book taught me a lot about dinosaurs!
Grade Range: 2nd - 4th
This was a very informative book. It taught me about all different aspects of dinosaurs; types of dinosaurs, their speed, size, diets, fossils, etc. I really liked that the pictures showed the different sizes of the dinosaurs and did so by comparing it to the size of a human. It was really helpful that the book had a glossary in the back to help explain more. This book taught me a lot about dinosaurs!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews