by Marco Signore, Illustrations by Matteo Bacchin
Abbeville Kids, $15.95, 61 pages
The prehistoric world is brought back to life for young readers in an educational comic book series called Dinosaurs. Marco Signore, author of the essays found in Giant vs. Giant, is a paleontologist who brings alive the story of a battle between the plant eating Argentinosaurus (the largest creature ever to walk Earth) and the predator Gigantosaurus. Matteo Bacchin is the author of the main story and his illustrations are both scientifically accurate and entertaining. Within the comic strip, information is provided about animal behavior and species interaction. The comic is followed by detailed charts showing the path of dinosaur evolution, biological data about the animals (length, height, weight), and amazing photographs and essays covering topics such as searching for and reconstructing fossils, descriptions of the land and climate where dinosaurs roamed, and the dinosaur diet. A glossary helps define new terms. Readers will find additional resources at the back of the book that supplement the information read about in the comic. It is quite an ingenious way to get reluctant readers on board to check out science through a comic book.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklinosaurus