Atlas of Dinosaur Adventures

Gr 2–5—Arranged geographically over six regions, this title introduces 31 dinosaurs with a combination of facts, narrative, and visual humor. On each large spread, two paragraphs describe the physical features and behaviors of a different dinosaur. In many cases, these are couched within a present-tense narrative about a particular incident, such as a Baryonyx catching a fish, while others stick to more straightforward dinosaur profiles. Although dates are not provided in a couple of instances, these are engaging and informative introductions. Many of the appealing, useful illustrations are captioned. Other contemporary animals are also portrayed, usually with an identifying caption. The drawings depict traits and size accurately, but there's a whimsical flavor here, too. Observant readers will notice hats, bibs, or scarves on some dinosaurs, along with other intentional anachronisms such as fishing poles or a beach ball. These are subtle enough to make spotting them a fun activity but clearly out of place enough that they won't be mistaken as historically accurate. Each spread also includes an inset fact box and range map. A full map introduces each region and points out dinosaur locations. A detailed index provides access, even to the species with brief entries.