Weirdosaurus. by Philip Bunting

Philip Bunting has once again presented a fascinating, humourous and strikingly illustrated book - this one about all manner of dinosaurs. With his trademark hint of humour, vibrant illustrations and accessible facts, this book is sure to become a favourite amongst dinosaur-loving children.

The title alone, Weirdosaurus. is a hook in itself. Paired with the vivid illustration of a variety of peculiar creatures, the reader is in for a visual and factual treat. And please check out the endpapers. They are a busy snapshot of what dinosaurs are discussed in the book. The contents page provides a list of all the creatures but before delving into this, there is a thoughtful introduction, a word about the meaning ‘terrible lizard’ plus an important page on how to use this book.  

This collection is made up of creatures from the Mesozoic Era (252-66 million years ago) and covers the Triassic, the Jurassic and the Cretaceous periods. Every creature is labelled clearly with a bold heading, name translation, scientific name, habitat, diet, length, description and size comparison. This information is accompanied by a detailed and colourful illustration.

On the opening double page spread of each of the three periods, there are all of the dinosaurs listed for that particular time with their name, pronunciation and page number. A very quick easy way to find a dinosaur of interest. For example, there is a Henodus on page 31 which is a subaqueous sucker and has a flattened square-shaped shell. On page 58 is the Fruitadens which is one of the smallest dinosaurs ever discovered just 65cms with fast, snappy jaws. On page 91, is the Nedoceratops who is only half pictured as they only ever discovered a single fossilized skull. In the final pages is a discussion about the end of dinosaurs plus a detailed index.

This fabulous and engaging non-fiction book will be a much-loved asset for a home, school or public library.

Themes: Dinosaurs, Humour, Information.

Kathryn Beilby