Plesiosaur Peril

Reviewed by: Bernie Alie - Kennebunk Free Library, Kennebunk, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 9, 2015

Review

This entry in the Tales of Prehistoric Life series focuses on life in the sea approximately 165 million years ago. We are introduced to Cryptoclidus and Liopleurodon, both plesiosaurs, carnivorous reptiles that lived during the time of dinosaurs. In this telling, a young Cryptoclidus narrowly escapes becoming a meal of a larger, faster Liopleurodon.

As always with this series, the illustrations will capture the attention of children. Computer generated illustrations of pleisosaurs, ichthyosaurs, ammonites and belemnites of the Jurassic period are superimposed on underwater photographs of coral reefs and sponges. Streaming light adds authenticity to the art. Some children will find the realism scary, particularly the chase scenes.

The use of scientific terms will make this title useful for a classroom introduction to early reptiles or ancient creatures that lived at the same time as the more popular dinosaurs. Facts about Cryptoclidus and Liopleurodon are given in a one-page summary at the end. It would have been nice to have information on the other creatures mentioned in the story, such as the ichthyosaurs, ammonites and belemnites. Although factual, the story aspect makes this title better suited for picture book collections.

Overall Book Score: very good