Dinosaur words are some of the first, most exciting words young readers learn, and these titles build on that hype. There are key vocabulary terms folded into simple, short sentences and paired with images for additional context. There are color illustrations of dinosaurs both with and without feathers for knowledgeable fans. The enticing past is shown alongside the exploratory present day of paleontologists studying these prehistoric creatures in color photographs. The blending of the two media allows for a pleasant merging of the imagined past and real present, one influenced by the other. VERDICT Highlighting some of the most popular prehistoric creatures, these titles are perfect for libraries looking to build their dinosaur collections for emerging readers.

Primary-school kids curious about dinos will happily dig into the newest additions to the Seedlings: Dinosaurs series. Attractively designed, the volumes feature pleasing digital artwork, photos of fossils, playful text placement, and ample white space to help young learners stay focused. Each book greets its subject with a hello and closes with a goodbye, and the pages in between feature one to two sentences apiece with an accompanying illustration that shines a light on its dinosaur’s appearance, prehistoric life, and discovery. In Ankylosaurus, readers will marvel at this tanklike herbivore’s armor, which includes a mighty clubbed tail. Diplodocus reveals that this longnecked giant had spikes down its back and was the length of three school buses. The fascinating star of Spinosaurus could be found both on land and in the water, and the sail along its back stood “as tall as an adult human!”Stegosaurus examines this iconic creature’s back plates and tail spikes while pointing out that its head and brain were quite small for its size. While the books don’t state the period during which their respective dinosaurs lived, they each name two other dinos that also would have been alive at that time. Standard back matter is colorfully organized and preceded by wonderful, labeled diagrams of the book’s featured dinosaur.