Pteranodon: The Flying Reptile (Dinosaur Discovery Series) - Hardcover

Grade 4-6-- This series is informative, factual, and utilitarian, but it lacks that extra spark that entices and holds readers' attention. The chapter titles-- "Body Size," "Social Life," and "Appearance"--make it easy for young researchers to zero in on the information they need. That's the best part about this series; it seems designed with homework assignments and reports in mind. But it would be hard to read these books cover-to-cover without being bored. The fictionalized stories which frame the factual material are prosaic and dull, and the illustrations, although large and fairly realistic, have an aura of gray institutionalism about them. Better choices, in a similar vein, are Horner and Gorman's Maia: a Dinosaur Grows Up (Running Pr, 1987) and Sattler's Pterosaurs, the Flying Reptiles (Lothrop, 1985), both of which provide factual material and illustrations that intrigue and inform. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.