Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

That's No Dino!

Or Is It? What Makes a Dinosaur a Dinosaur

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

A fun introduction to prehistoric creatures that are not dinosaurs, and why!

Everyone knows what a dinosaur is, right? Well, maybe not. Dinosaurs are actually just one type of extinct animal from prehistoric times. So, what sets them apart? Here, readers are introduced to ten prehistoric animals. Each one looks like a dinosaur. But it's missing at least one key characteristic of all true dinosaurs. Animal by animal, each of those characteristics is added to a growing list, until, by the end of the book, readers know just what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur!

A dinosaur by any other name is... not a dinosaur, of course!

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Levels

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      May 1, 2021
      A look at some of the physical features that distinguish true dinosaurs from other large, extinct creatures. Becker tries here to create an unambiguous definition of dinosaur by comparing 11 prehistoric animals to a checklist of (supposed) dinosaur characteristics, but the attempt is likely to leave readers more confused than enlightened. "Dinosaurs had grasping hands," for instance. Does T. rex? Well, no...but its ancestors did, so thumbs-up. How about Sacisaurus? Thumbs-down--even though no fossil hands have so far been found for that species. Does Quetzalcoatlus make the cut? No, because it had batlike wings, and "most dinosaurs didn't." Except, she admits, for that one kind that did. Protorosaurus? No, because it did not live in the Mesozoic Era. The birds of our era? "Dino experts say yes!" To be fair, even said experts can't come up with a universally accepted definition, and eventually even the author seems to throw up her hands, switching in the last several pages to discussions of bird hips versus reptile hips and remarks about dinosaurs in general. Along with depicting all of the dinos and nondinos in the illustrations with the same creepy, staring eyes, Tremblay muddies the waters even further with a lineup of unlabeled skulls with varying numbers of holes in them in illustration of one of the principles of dinosaur-ness. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A brave effort, doomed from the start. (glossary, index, print and web sources) (Informational picture book. 9-12)

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:840
  • Text Difficulty:4-5

Loading