Sea Giants of Dinosaur Time (Meet the Dinosaurs)

Grade 2-3–A quick glimpse at eight of the larger prehistoric marine reptiles, ranging in eras from 220 million to 65 million years ago. The simple text presents a time line for these creatures, a global map of fossil finds, and some details of their physiology and distribution. The colorful double-page illustrations on blue backgrounds are accompanied by a paragraph or two of particulars–snippets on size and diet–and, in one case, show the fossil of an Icthyosaurus giving birth. Also included is a reference to Mary Anning and her fossil-finding in England. Less detailed than Enid Fisher's True-Life Monsters of the Prehistoric Seas (Gareth Stevens, 1999), this book will be enjoyed by readers beginning to master nonfiction, and may find a good home in a classroom library.