Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Discusses the armor-plated dinosaur called Stegosaurus and some of its lesser-known relatives.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 32) and index.
Discusses the armor-plated dinosaur called Stegosaurus and some of its lesser-known relatives.
c.1.
Reviews provided by Syndetics
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-6-- Stegosaurs have had a stodgy image over the years. These dinosaurs with ``Ping-Pong-ball-size'' brains never generated as much attention or drama as the mighty carnivores. But Sattler's latest offering changes all that by presenting well-organized arguments to contradict the stereotype of the less-than-intelligent stego. It's everything anyone could want in a dinosaur book. The author presents intriguing, up-to-date information about 11 varieties of Stegosaurs, including what they looked like, where they lived, and what they ate. She also discusses current theories about their eggs and babies, and the recent hypothesis that the plates along their spines were used to regulate their body temperatures. Unlike many such books and dictionaries, this one provides plenty of well-indexed information for report writers. The attractive watercolor illustrations are helpful and clear, as are the further-reading list (although it tends to be directed at an older reading group than the book) and the life-span chart. An interesting addition is a map of the location of stegosaur remains in the modern world, which includes insets showing the positions of the continents at the time these creatures lived. Superior science writing. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Ages 7-12. Sattler's usual easy style and love of her subject make reading about the unappreciated stegosaurus a treat. As slow-witted and ungainly as stegosaurus appears, it was a highly successful dinosaur. Stegosaurus and other members of the Stegosaur family had relatively small brains, but their spiked tails for defense and their plated backs, which may have provided "air conditioning," made them well suited to their environment. Some of MacCombie's dinosaurs look a little posed, but she uses the full palette to paint her subjects, and overall the illustrations fit nicely with the text. Bibliography. (Reviewed Oct. 15, 1992)0688100554Denia Hester
Horn Book Review
In describing the shared characteristics of the eleven stegosaur species, the author explains that the odd-looking, diamond-shaped plates may have served as solar panels to control the dinosaurs' temperatures. A longer discussion of Stegosaurus, the largest animal in the group and the only one found in North America, is followed by brief entries with full-page drawings of the ten known species from other parts of the world. A map and time line are included. Bib., ind. From HORN BOOK 1992, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Book Review
With charming color illustrations, 11 dinosaurs of the stegosaur family, including recent fossil finds on four continents. Fans of the gentle plant-eating stegosaurus, with its double row of bony plates (``Solar-Powered'' refers to speculation that these may have been used to collect or dissipate heat) will relish other odd- looking members of the clan. A world map gives fossil locations; a helpful bar graph provides a species timeline. Unfortunately, drawings are not always to scale: a 25-foot adult is shown with an egg one fifth its size. Still, this will find a wide audience: visual enough for the picture book set, it also includes enough factual material for older readers. Further reading; index. (Nonfiction. 7-12)