National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas

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Author(s)

National Geographic

Publisher

National Geographic Kids

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

September 20, 2022

ISBN

978-1426372797

Buy This Book

Dig into the amazing world of dinosaurs! This one-of-a-kind atlas from National Geographic is packed with eye-popping illustrations, incredible fossil finds, and fascinating maps custom made for kids by the world leaders in mapmaking and exploration.

More than 250 million years ago, our planet looked and felt a lot different from how it does now. The seven separate continents we have today hadn’t yet taken shape. Instead, there was only one “supercontinent” called Pangaea. This was the beginning of the time of the dinosaurs.

Journey from the Triassic to the Jurassic to the Cretaceous to find out how Earth slowly shifted over time, and how the variety of dinosaurs ruling the planet changed too. Discover how some of these creatures took to the land and others to water or air, and what their habitats were like. Explore how these prehistoric lands correspond to current locations, and hear from paleontologists about the groundbreaking discoveries they are making in these fossil-rich places today.

Experience the Mesozoic world of the dinosaurs as never before. This is one atlas to sink your teeth into!

You’ll find: * Newly interpreted findings and new art of fan favorites such as T. rex, Triceratops, and Spinosaurus * New info and more recently discovered dinosaurs from less explored parts of the world * Profiles of more than 75 prehistoric creatures * Custom-made, kid-friendly maps of every dinosaur-inhabited continent, from the Pangaea to the modern day, that explain which creatures lived where, what the habitats were like, and where dinosaur bones are being found today. * Eye-popping, full-color illustrations of dinosaurs and the worlds they inhabited.* Profiles of diverse paleontologists from around the world * Special sections introducing the dinosaur family tree, a prehistoric era timeline, the geography of the prehistoric globe, what happened to the dinosaurs, and a dinosaur dictionary.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Fantastic Resource for Dinosaur Fans

November 22, 2022

Overall rating

4.7

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Learning Value

5.0

The subtitle of this oversize (10.5" x 14") book tells it all: When they roamed, how they lived, and where we find their fossils! Even the table of contents of this book is beautifully formatted and lays out what we will find inside; a brief discussion of dinosaurs and their times, explanations of the habitats, dinosaurs, and life of the Triassic , Jurassi, and Cretaceous periods, and then examples of dinosaur fossils found on six continents. There's even a little bit about what happened to the dinosaurs and what creatures are descended from them.

The real draw of National Geographic books is usually the gorgeous photographs; since we are dealing with time periods well before photography, we get instead excellent illustrations of the animals and their habitats. These are done in such a convincing way that I had to look closely at some of the smaller, inset pictures to tell whether or not they were photographs of modern animals! I'm not sure how illustrator Franco Tempesta created these small works of art, but they are quite impressive, not to mention a little bit scary! There are some occasional photographs, such as the skeleton of a tiny Early Jurassic Hadrocodium or modern scientists like Jack Horner.

Good Points

Professor Steve Brusatte, a paleotologist, seems to have written most of the text, which fills the pages with trivia that will delight even the most avid dinosaur fan. I really enjoyed the tour of the continents and the dinosaurs that were found in different locations; there are excellent maps showing where these were found, as well as discussions of the areas as well as the civilians and scientists who discovered the fossils.

Other fun bits of information are scattered throughout the book, like a description of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, the difficulties of hunting for fossils in the extreme heat of the desert, and even how dinosaurs get their scientific names. Readers who love to know all of the minutiae about a topic will memorize these factoids along with the names of all of the dinosaurs in the book. To make this even easier, there is a Dino Dictionary at the end of the book taht includes the name AND pronunciation of the dinosaurs mentioned, the meaning, when they lived, and other information.

Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 2014 reviews

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All Things Dinosaurs with Stunning Pictures

November 14, 2022

Overall rating

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Learning Value

5.0

DINOSAUR ATLAS is an incredible reference book for dinosaurs with stunning illustrations to go along with all of the fun facts. It's divided into a few different sections: Meet the Dinosaurs, the three different time periods, each continent and their findings, and after the dinosaurs. There are plenty of interesting facts on anything you want to know about dinosaurs, including the extinction theories. There's a handy dictionary in the back of the book too for children to flip to as they need it. The timelines and maps give children the whole picture to help them retain the information they're reading about.

The layout of the book is highly engaging and will hold onto a child's interest. I honestly can't get over how breath-taking the illustrations are and how they bring the dinosaurs back to life. My daughter is a huge fan of dinosaurs and nearly jumped out her skin from excitement once she saw this book. I enjoyed watching her flip through the pages as much as she liked looking. We both found the section about birds fascinating too.

Final Verdict: Overall, National Geographic hits a home-run with this incredible reference book of dinosaurs. Between the pictures and all of the intriguing history, this is one dinosaur fans won't want to miss out on. It'll make a great present that'll stimulate your child's mind while involving something they love.