Dinosaurs: 400 Words for Budding Paleontologists - Dinosaur Dictionary from Merriam-Webster

by Daniel Long (Illustrator), Ellen-Thérèse Lamm (Editor), Merriam-Webster (Editor)

Learn 400 words dinosaur scientists―or paleontologists―use, and learn how to talk like a dinosaur expert! Do you know what pieces of fossilized dinosaur poop are called? ( Coprolites.) How about the large collar at the back of a Triceratops’s skull? ( Frill.) Take a deep dive into the science behind these creatures with this impressive book from Merriam-Webster and learn 400 words you need to talk like a dinosaur expert! Travel back in time millions of years to discover how these extraordinary creatures lived, ate, fought, raised babies, and survived in the wild. With full color illustrations and up-to-date scientific research, meet all different types of dinosaurs and learn how they evolved on a changing planet. Behind-the-scenes information on paleontology and scientists, plus an A-Z glossary, will leave readers not only talking like the experts, but thinking like them, too!

Genres: Nonfiction

64 pages, Hardcover

Published December 15, 2022

Reviews

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how this spanned everything to do with dinosaurs. Pangea, the eras of the world, fossilization, finding and retrieving the fossils, research, display, and more. Very cool.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Readers learn about dinosaurs in general, as well as specific stars of the different periods. We learn about their skeletons, cool things that were on their bodies, things they ate, how we can tell if they were a night dweller or hunted during the day. We find out how they protected themselves, whether or not they could fly, which was the biggest or the smallest and so much more! We also learn about what goes on today, finding fossils, working in the lab and what museums do, what a career in paleontology involves, and we meet some modern dinosaurs - or at least their descendants.

All the best stuff about dinosaurs complete with labeled illustrations, maps, pronunciation guides and amazing illustrations. This stuff is cutting edge - like feathered dinosaurs as well as scaled, growth rings in bone, and melanosome which lets researchers know what color the dinosaur was. Kids will love this. Each two-page spread is full of information bits, so they can really open to any page and learn about dinosaurs. There are timelines, a dictionary and source material, and an index to find where your favorite dinosaur is featured or mentioned. Part of Merriam-Webster's Talk Like an Expert series, I'm excited to see what else is out there.

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This encyclopedia-style book isn't just a collection of vocabulary words. It is filled with interesting information about dinosaurs, with both familiar and lesser-known facts about their global history, fossil recovery efforts, and different types of jobs in the field of paleontology. There were times when I wished that the author had clarified what is just supposition versus an evidenced fact, but for the most part, she shared the factual explanations behind different statements instead of expecting readers to just take her at her word.

This book will appeal to elementary-aged kids who are interested in dinosaurs, and it is sophisticated and detailed enough to also appeal to middle schoolers. Some younger elementary-aged children would be overwhelmed by the many fact bars and frequently complex language, but they could enjoy the pictures and grow into it later.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

[PottWab Regional Library]

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