The Greatest Dinosaur Ever

by Brenda Z. Guiberson, Gennady Spirin (Illustrator)

Overview

Which dinosaur was the greatest? Was it the tallest, the biggest, the strongest, the smartest, the weirdest, the fastest, or the smallest? Or was it the oldest bird, the best parent, the one with the best night vision, the best armor, or the longest tail spikes? In this picture book from Brenda Z. Guiberson, fascinating facts and spectacular illustrations will inspire young readers to choose their own favorite dinosaurs!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466845084
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	10/22/2013
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	42 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Brenda Z. Guiberson has written many books for children, including Cactus Hotel, Spoonbill Swamp, Moon Bear and Disasters. As a child, Brenda never thought she wanted to be a writer—her dreams tended more toward jungle explorer. She graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in English and Fine Art. She started thinking about writing for children when her son went to elementary school, and she volunteered in his class and in the school library. After taking exciting trips that involved a fifty-foot cactus, hungry alligators and sunset-colored spoonbills, she wanted to create books for children that would be like a field trip. Her books are full of well-researched detail, and Brenda sees this research as an adventure—one that allows her to be a jungle explorer at last. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Gennady Spirin was born on Christmas Day in 1948 in a small town near Moscow. He is a graduate of the Stroganov Academy of Fine Arts in Moscow and has received many awards for his work both in the United States and internationally. Books he has illustrated include The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea, Life in the Boreal Forest, Frog Song, The Deadliest Creature in the World, and The Greatest Dinosaur Ever. Mr. Spirin lives in Princeton, New Jersey, with his wife and three sons.

Editorial Reviews

From the writer and illustrator of Life in the Boreal Forest (2009) and Frog Song (2013), here's another handsome book for the science shelves.” —Booklist

“*Whether read aloud or pored over individually, this book is sure to please anyone who has ever wondered about dinosaurs.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“*Guiberson speaks of frog voices as a beacon. . . . Spirin's paintings make this a book to treasure.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review on Frog Song

“This nonfiction book shows why the boreal forest, home to a unique ecosystem of plants and animals, is as big and important as tropical rain forests.” —USA Today on Life in the Boreal Forest

“Gorgeously intricate illustrations perfectly complement equally evocative text in this introduction to the great northern, or boreal, forest, which sprawls across the entire northern hemisphere. . . . Guiberson and Spirin manage to successfully convey the beauty and majesty of this forest and its denizens in two dimensions, and a list of organizations devoted to preserving the forest provides further information. An author's note adds urgency to the message about the importance of preservation.” —Booklist, starred review on Life in the Boreal Forest

“Taking readers through the seasons, Guiberson and Spirin present a verbal and pictorial treasury for nature lovers and young researchers alike.” —School Library Journal on Life in the Boreal Forest

“Beautiful and useful.” —Kirkus Reviews on Life in the Boreal Forest

“Each of the stunning paintings in this catalog of the boreal forest, the great northern forest, is breathtakingly beautiful. They are in the style of Audubon and other great naturalist painters. They breathe life into the creatures, give texture to their fur and feathers and capture a sense of place.” —The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio on Life in the Boreal Forest

From the Publisher

★ 09/01/2013
Gr 1–4—This book poses the question, "Who was the greatest dinosaur that ever lived?" Each beautifully illustrated page declares "I, ----, was the greatest of them all!" The succinct text describes the superlative characteristic (biggest herbivore, stongest teeth, fastest runner) of the species and offers the gross, interesting, and informative facts that dinosaur-obsessed readers want to know. Each name includes a pronunciation guide (exactly what adult readers want). The text includes a mix of familiar and obscure species including "the first dinosaur to say I was a bird," the best parent, and the longest spikes. Every full-spread illustration, in oil paint on paper, shows the dinosaur in its richly depicted habitat. Observant children will learn as much from the detailed, painterly images of groups of animals moving together, hunting prey, and adapting to new environments as they will from the text. The dreamy quality of the art keeps these giant predators from being too scary. Whether read aloud or pored over individually, this book is sure to please anyone who has ever wondered about dinosaurs.—Leila Sterman, Chappaqua Library, NY

School Library Journal

2013-08-15
Guiberson presents arguments as to why each of 12 dinosaurs should be considered the greatest--tallest, longest, fastest, smartest, best-armored, etc. Each spread introduces a different species, Spirin's oils making each dinosaur, in its earth-toned, scaly glory, come to life in its habitat. The pattern of the text makes it easy for children to chime in with every page turn: "I was the greatest. I had the longest spikes at the end of my tail. They were sharp and strong and as long as a third grader. On my back I had 17 stunning plates shaped like kites. / I, STEGASAURUS,…was the greatest dinosaur of them all." From the well-known and common dinos to the lesser-known, like Leaellynasaura and Therizinosaurus, Guiberson provides the pronunciation under each name. Of the final three species--Archaeopteryx, Oviraptor and Microraptor--two fly, and all are depicted with feathers. Some of the "greatest" designations may be cause for dispute, but in that case, readers may enjoy giving evidence for their own candidates. Though they have a rather antique look, Spirin's illustrations are lifelike, and most give readers a good sense of the dinosaurs' comparative sizes. While there is no gore, these creatures sport wide-open, toothy mouths (sometimes enclosing prey). Backmatter presents thumbnails and quick information: name's meaning, pronunciation, size, period and location. Dino lovers will learn how their favorites stack up. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews