The Rourke Dinosaur Dictionary

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6 --On the plus side, this dinosaur dictionary gives basic information on over 100 dinosaurs--measurements, time period, location, name pronunciations, and a paragraph or two explaining what is known about the creatures. This information is not very current, however; for example, no mention is made of the recent debate concerning the arrangement of plates on Stegosaurus' back. The conglomeration of pictures by different illustrators ranges from fairly good to awkward and pedestrian. Charts and a glossary at the front and back of the book seem to have been added just to fill up space. This book is a little more up to date, a little more enticing than its look-alike volume, 100 Dinosaurs From A to Z (Grosset, 1986), by Ron Wilson, but is not as informative as Benton's The Dinosaur Encyclopedia (Messner, 1984). This is best purchased for its coverage of dinosaurs such as Tuojiangosaurus and Opisthocoelicaudia, certainly not yet household words, but very likely to show up on lists of unique topics for reports. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library