Product Description

An encyclopedic and vividly illustrated reference.

Gone but never forgotten -- no other life form has captured our imagination and attention like dinosaurs. Dinosaurus is organized into the major dinosaur families and identifies 500 species -- creature by creature, from the voracious flesh-eaters to the egg-stealers to the vegetarians. What they looked like. What they ate. How they fought, lived, and died. A dramatic full-color illustration of each dinosaur is accompanied by a concise explanation of their traits and habits.

At-a-glance Fact Files describe: - Latin name, translation, and pronunciation - Adult length, weight and height - Diet and habitat - Global distribution

Dinosaurus challenges and discredits popular myths and long-standing legends. For example: the dinosaur known as Brontosaurus never even existed in the first place. Was Tyrannosaurus really the biggest meat-eater of all time? Were flying dinosaurs simply feeble gliders? Could sea dinosaurs out-swim today's fastest fish?

Brimming with the latest research, from contemporary digs in North America, Mongolia, Europe and China, Dinosaurus is comprehensive, innovative, and as compelling and exciting as the dinosaurs themselves.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44245 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 448 pages

From Booklist
Parker's Dinosaurus is magnificent in its breadth and illustration. Arrangement is by group, and 500 dinosaurs are described. Each entry includes an illustration and brief information about the dinosaur's discovery and characteristics. Each entry also includes a "Dino Factfile" containing data on scientific name with pronunciation and meaning, location, size, diet, and time period. The luscious illustrations include photographs of fossils and of living animals related to the dinosaur or artistic renderings. The volume concludes with chapters on nondinosaur creatures of the dinosaur age and evolution since then. The end matter contains maps of main fossil sites, a list of museums, and a glossary. The text is better suited to older readers; younger children will be fascinated by the pictures. Compares favorably to Scholastic Dinosaurs A to Z [RBB D 15 03] and The Dinosaur Atlas [RBB Mr 1 04]. All three books describe the work of paleontologists and the excitement of discovery. Depending on the popularity of the subject in a particular community, all three should be purchased. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Attractive drawings, well-designed graphic snapshots and accessible language. -- Mary Ann Gwinn, Seattle Times 12/10/2003

Informative and fun. -- Bruce Dancis, Sacramento Bee 11/30/2003

Large, vivid illustrations grace every page and accompany data indicating how dinosaurs lived. -- Science News 12/06/2003

Lavishly illustrated, this hefty book proves again why dinosaurs are so enduringly fascinating to so many. -- Marc Horton, Edmonton Journal 12/21/2003

Magnificent in its breadth and illustration. Arrangement is by group, and 500 dinosaurs are described. -- Booklist / RBB 03/01/2004

Nice little factoids make this a winner... A great timeline from 540 million years ago to the present is fun. -- Princeton Times of Trenton 12/07/2003

Not only lists and illustrates 700 known dinosaur species, but also puts dinosaurs into context. -- Kim Covert, Canadian Press 12/03/2003

The dinosaurs in this encyclopedia are remarkably lifelike creatures... accessible, nontechnical text... Each entry includes an ingenious fact file. -- Amy Brunvand, Library Journal 12/01/2003

The paintings of the creatures in motion are riveting (and sometimes a little scary). -- Mary Ann Grossmann, St Paul Pioneer Press 11/23/2003

The subtitle -- The Complete Guide to Dinosaurs -- is no lie... information and illustrations and reconstructions of everything. -- Tom Oleson, Winnipeg Free Press 12/07/2003

Review
The paintings of the creatures in motion are riveting (and sometimes a little scary). (Mary Ann Grossmann St Paul Pioneer Press 20031123)

Attractive drawings, well-designed graphic snapshots and accessible language. (Mary Ann Gwinn Seattle Times 20031210)

The subtitle -- The Complete Guide to Dinosaurs -- is no lie... information and illustrations and reconstructions of everything. (Tom Oleson Winnipeg Free Press 20031207)

Comprehensive, well-organized and cleverly illustrated... lively account of the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth. (Keith Runyon Louisville Courier-Journal 20031214)

Nice little factoids make this a winner... A great timeline from 540 million years ago to the present is fun. (Princeton Times of Trenton 20031207)

Lavishly illustrated, this hefty book proves again why dinosaurs are so enduringly fascinating to so many. (Marc Horton Edmonton Journal 20031221)

Informative and fun. (Bruce Dancis Sacramento Bee 20031130)

Not only lists and illustrates 700 known dinosaur species, but also puts dinosaurs into context. (Kim Covert Canadian Press 20031203)

More in-depth information than average... Outstanding... a must-have source for libraries where dinosaur study is an annual research unit. (Rollie Welch VOYA 20031206)

If you're interested in dinosaurs, you'll love Dinosaurus! (Brenda Dillon Resource Links 200404)

Comprehensive in scope... Filled with abundance of information... plethora of fabulous illustrations... An excellent reference book. (Gail Hamilton CM Magazine 20031201)

Lavishly illustrated overview of the most interesting of these creatures... the latest scientific theories. (Globe and Mail 200404)

Large, vivid illustrations grace every page and accompany data indicating how dinosaurs lived. (Science News 20050701)

Liberally illustrated and much more comprehensive than other recent dinosaur books. (Linda R. Zellmer E-Streams )

Magnificent in its breadth and illustration. Arrangement is by group, and 500 dinosaurs are described. (Booklist / RBB )

The dinosaurs in this encyclopedia are remarkably lifelike creatures... accessible, nontechnical text... Each entry includes an ingenious fact file. (Amy Brunvand Library Journal )

A well-illustrated, large-format book... a good book for a young person who is curious about dinosaurs. (P.K. Strother Choice )

Written by an expert who can't help but convey his enthusiasm... an excellent resource... I would highly recommend this book. (Jacqueline Pfeiffer Science and Children )

Customer Reviews

Dinosaurus: The Complete Guide to Dinosaurs
"Dinosaurus: The Complete Guide to Dinosaurs" written by Steve Parker is a wonderful text about how the comtemporary view is of the 500 dinosaurs within the pages of this book. "Dinosaurus" is comprehensive to say the least, contemporary, innovative, and is unique in the portrayal of how these dinosaurs lived their lives from flesh-eaters, to egg-stealers, and to the plant eaters. this book covers and extensive array of they animals that we've become to know more about due to new digs and research.

"Dinosaurus" incorporates the latest thinking as to how the listed dinosaurs lived out their lives and eventually died. This book is a challange to the latest thinking on habit and habitat, making for very intertesting reading. When dealing with dinosaurs, perhaps the only certainty to the fact is change. More and more people are lending their collective knowledge to the study of paleontology and we are getting a truer picture of what these animals presumablely looked like from the skeletal remains. With the advent of forensics being applied to paleontology more information is being gleamed for the digs when remains are now found.

The number of kinds, or species, of animals, plants and other living things in existance today exceeds 10 million. While insects are the vast majority. There are some main subgroups of invertebrates which include nearly 100,000 species. With this in mind remember that 99 out of 100 kinds of living things that have ever existed are no longer around. They form a vast array of life that have appeared and then disappeared on the planet.

There is a unique fold out for the different eras and the subgroups of time within them... giving the reader a chronological breakdown of when life started and flourish and different times during the past to the present, and there are examples of the life that existed in these time periods. The classification of some 400 genra of dinosaurs, and of several species within many of these genra, is a terrific achievement in relation to a group of animals only known to us via a fossil record.

I found this book to be enthralling and kept my interest till the end with all the latest information incorporated in the drawing of the dinosaurs and what we precieve them to look like. The principal evidence for the existence of dinosaurs and other long-gone living things comes from fossils, as these are the remains of organisms, or the traces they left.

"Dinosaurus" has dinosaurs from North America(Wyoming, Montana, and Alberta), Eurasia, Australia, South America, and Africa. What has made dinosaurs ever more interesting in recent years are the many studies that have centered on the companion of these creatures and their respective enviorments, which they lived during the Mesozoic Era.

"Dinosaurus" has fifteen chapters making of a very comprehensive book. Covering Early life, Conquerors of the Land, The First Dinosaurs, The Small Meat-eaters, The Great Predators, Ostrich Dinosaurs, The Giants, The Bird-foot Dinosaurs, The Duckbills, The Boneheads, The Armored Dinosaurs, The Plated Dinosaurs, The Horned Dinosaurs, Other Creatures of the Dinosaur Age, And Afterthe Dinosaurs. There are listings of the Main Fossil Sites and Where to Find Dinosaurs, and very well-appointed glossary, and an Index for easy location of the dinosaur you're looking for.

I would highly recommend this book to the novice and the well season fossil hunter and it give clues as ato what this vast array of creatures looked like. The classification of some 400 genra of dinosaurs, and of several species within many of these genra, is a terrific achievement and should be read by all enthusists. The illustrations really make the book come to life and make the book very interesting.

"Dinosaurus" is a solid 5 star book and should be enjoyed by all with an interest in dinosaurs and their habitat and the is a dino-factoid with every species that gives the actual size to a common human's height and some of the giants are huge, while others are no bigger that the average cat or dog.

You'll get some interesting perspectives reading this book about dinosaurs that you haven't seen elsewhere.

One Big Dinosaur Book!!!! A True Dinosaur Bible!!!!
Dinosaurus is certainly a great big book with lots of dinosaur images and simple text to read. You can learn so much about dinosaurs and other animals that live before, during and after them in this book. In fact, I honestly am an expert on dinosaurs. I have been this way ever since I was a young girl. This book, among all the others I have read and enjoyed, will totally keep my dinosaur wisdom refreshed and well informed. It's Simply one of the best!!!

+++
i've gone through a lot of dinosaur titles trying to find the absolute perfect one, and Dinosaurus is pretty much it. the format is great-- one dinosaur per page with accompanying facts/habits/size, etc.-- and the pictures are convincing and scary enough to satisfy all. for people who used to be dinosaur-loving kids (or, for that matter, still ARE dinosaur-loving kids) this is absolutely super plus excellent.