After the Dinosaurs: Mammoths and Fossil Mammals. Brown, Charlotte Lewis (author). Wilson, Phil (illustrator). (2006). New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers. 31 pages. ISBN: 978-0-06-053054-9.
NonFiction: Informative: Ages 4 to 8
Topics and Main Points:
This book in the I Can Read series gives the basic on the small mammals and large ammoths that were alive during the dinosaur era. the author give the pronunciations of the animals, as well as comparing their looks and features to animals that children will recognize. Where the animals lived, what they ate, and how they survived are discussed. Eleven animals are discussed, including early humans. There is a note at the end of the book that discusses how scientists are still discovering the bones of these animals that lived ling ago.
Author/Illustrator:
Charlotte Lewis Brown writes in a basic style, that is easy to understand. The sentences are short and unfamiliar words are phonetically spelled so children can learn their pronunciations. A book review by Kutztown University states that the "text is interesting and presented in a relaxed, conversational style appropriate for the intended reader." Brown follows a pattern with each animal by describing the looks and habitat. A Kirkus review points out that readers "might find the table of contents more helpful if the pages were numbered," but states that the straightforward information is "presented in an interesting and accessible package". The illustrations are beautifully drawn. They are colorful and detailed. The backgrounds give the reader a real look at what the landscape would have looked like millions of years ago. In fact, it is the illustrationon the cover that will draw readers to the book, rather than the title. These two also paired up for another beginning reader story called The Day the Dinosaurs Died.
Classroom Tie-ins:
This book could supplement a unit on dinosaurs, but also be used in a discussion about how mammals differ from other animals. This is addressed early on in the text. Students can be asked, based on the pictures, what modern day animals some of these illustrations resemble. Students could draw their own versions of prehistoric animals and discuss what attributes would have enabled it to survive in that dangerous time. Students could also match the picture to the dinosaur on a worksheet as they are read the specific characteristics of each.
Charlotte Lewis Brown writes in a basic style, that is easy to understand. The sentences are short and unfamiliar words are phonetically spelled so children can learn their pronunciations. A book review by Kutztown University states that the "text is interesting and presented in a relaxed, conversational style appropriate for the intended reader." Brown follows a pattern with each animal by describing the looks and habitat. A Kirkus review points out that readers "might find the table of contents more helpful if the pages were numbered," but states that the straightforward information is "presented in an interesting and accessible package". The illustrations are beautifully drawn. They are colorful and detailed. The backgrounds give the reader a real look at what the landscape would have looked like millions of years ago. In fact, it is the illustrationon the cover that will draw readers to the book, rather than the title. These two also paired up for another beginning reader story called The Day the Dinosaurs Died.
Classroom Tie-ins:
This book could supplement a unit on dinosaurs, but also be used in a discussion about how mammals differ from other animals. This is addressed early on in the text. Students can be asked, based on the pictures, what modern day animals some of these illustrations resemble. Students could draw their own versions of prehistoric animals and discuss what attributes would have enabled it to survive in that dangerous time. Students could also match the picture to the dinosaur on a worksheet as they are read the specific characteristics of each.
Personal Response:
Until I worked in a library, I had no idea how popular these books were with young readers. I couldn't get them reshelved fast enough, and the shelves were always a mess after library time with the younger grades. The students loved the pictures, and sometimes taught me things I didn't know about the dinosaurs. I was always impressed when they knew the difficult names. The author makes the topic exciting, and I think she ordered the book very well.
Until I worked in a library, I had no idea how popular these books were with young readers. I couldn't get them reshelved fast enough, and the shelves were always a mess after library time with the younger grades. The students loved the pictures, and sometimes taught me things I didn't know about the dinosaurs. I was always impressed when they knew the difficult names. The author makes the topic exciting, and I think she ordered the book very well.
Resources:
Kirkus Reviews (2006, August 15). [Review of the book After the Dinosaurs: Mammoths and Fossil Mammals by Charlotte Lewis Brown]. Retrieved from:
http://web.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=7&sid=ac77999b-184a-4983-9ba5-87928a417fba%40sessionmgr14&hid=10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=21987291
Kutztown University Book Review. (Fall 2007). [Review of the book After the Dinosaurs: Mammoths and Fossil Mammals by Charlotte Lewis Brown]. Retrieved from:
http://www.clcd.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~nfDbbg:2
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