How Big Were Dinosaurs?
Judge teaches readers that dinosaurs came in a variety of sizes by comparing various dinosaur species to chickens, SUVs and other familiar objects. Most kids will not remember that fierce Microraptors weighed a mere two to four pounds after simply reading this fact. However, kids will find this fact hard to forget after seeing Judge?s memorable illustration of a concerned Microraptor gazing up to a menacing rooster. Each of Judge?s illustrations is fantastic ? from the fierce rooster towering over the Microraptor, to the curious Leaellynasaura exploring a group of snooty emperor penguins, to the three kids trying to persuade a Torosaurus to visit the vet.
Judge?s illustrations exude the same energy and skill that she demonstrated in Bird Talk and Red Sled. However, in this, her latest book, Judge tackles a subject with broader kid appeal ? dinosaurs ? and does so with humor that is lacking from most nonfiction books on the subject. For readers who are interested in learning more about dinosaurs, Judge includes clear and informative endnotes. She provides statistics about each of the dinosaurs pictured and explains how scientists use fossils to determine how big dinosaurs were.