Giants of the Sky

Children's Literature

This book describes a variety of pterosaurs: their names, location, size, diet, and possible habits. Each pterosaur has a large illustration which helps young readers visualize an actual creature, more than just bones and fossils. Each page also has "Pterofacts" about the species, and "Dino Don" facts with random bits of information. One problem is that the book is not detailed enough for many thorough research projects. Books such as Prehistoric Flying Reptiles: the Pterosaurs by Thom and Laurie Holmes have more detail, indexes, lists for further information, websites, and other research standard items that Giants of the Sky lack. Also, in Lessem's book a few items seem to be wrong according to many other books and websites. For example, one Pterosaur is spelled "caeradactylus" where in at least three other sources it is spelled "cearadactylus." Another problem for schools and libraries is that Giants of the Sky has stickers at the beginning and end of the book, along with a page to display the stickers. This kind of feature is not good for environments where there is a large circulation for a single item. This is a good choice for home use, but not a wise purchase for research or multiple use. 2002, Penguin Putnam Books, Ages 5 to 8.
— Joella Peterson