Kaleidoscope of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life: Their Colors and Patterns Explained

by Greer Stothers

What colors were the dinosaurs? Find out in this kaleidoscopic look at the technicolor world of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts as they may have looked.

A richly detailed and vibrantly illustrated natural history book, this fascinating read is bursting with color and will show you dinosaurs like never before. Discover cutting-edge theories  on feathered dinosaurs , the colourful secrets of the fossil record , and what million-year-old remains tell us about how extinct animals lived and looked. Paleo-artist and author Greer Stothers reimagines the dinosaurs and their prehistoric peers, using fossils and the examples of living species to bring this often misrepresented world to life. As well as the dinos, there’s also a section that takes a look at other extinct animals , shows how animals from the Ice Age may have looked, and explores how clues about long-dead creatures can be discovered from art by the prehistoric peoples who encountered them.

This is a beautifully illustrated first look at the kaleidoscopic world of dinosaurs and other creatures for young children, and makes a gorgeous gift for young paleontologists and art-lovers alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Childrens, Dinosaurs

64 pages, Hardcover

Published March 22, 2022

About the author

Greer Stothers is an award-winning author/illustrator based in Toronto. Their experiences as a nonbinary individual inform their writing and art, as does their drive to find the humor in everything.


source: Amazon

Reviews

[Catherine Craig (Angelic Light) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome children's book, which is jam packed full of educational information and amazing facts about dinosaurs, the tree of life, fossil information, primeval plants, The Cenozoic Era and more! It has beautiful graphics, which children will love.

I highly recommend this fantastic book to all children and adults who love dinosaurs. It is really great, and I learned a lot of fascinating information from it.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I squealed many times. A colourful nerdy exhibit within a book.

[Elizabeth Mellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Wide Eyed Editions for the ARC of this!

Full of lovely illustrations, this was easy to follow but full of interesting scientific and historical information. Perfect for dinosaur lovers in the elementary set, and easy to read a page or two at a time, without too much text per page. I'll be using this with my kids the next time we talk about dinosaurs or coloring of plants and animals.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Kaleidoscope of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life is a new science based children's book on the biology behind the colors, shapes, and patterns of prehistoric creatures and nature. Due out 22nd March 2022 from Quarto on their Wide Eyed Editions imprint, it's 64 pages and will be available in hardcover format. It's unclear from the publishing info available online if there are currently any plans for electronic format.

Although aimed at young readers, there is a lot of information here which will probably be new to most of the audience, whatever their age. The text is accessible, accurate, and precise (to the best of current scientific understanding) and the information is explained logically and well. The book divides the animal kingdom by following the Linnaean classification system into vertebrates and invertebrates and then further by phyla, family, etc. The *types* of coloration and the reasons behind them are covered in two-page spreads with explanatory text and examples: fossilization, melanophores, juvenile to adult coloration, sexual dimorphism (different colors for male and female of the same species), the biomechanics behind color changing cells, and more. The illustrations are drawn throughout the book.

The entire book is beautifully illustrated with bright colors and clear pictures. The drawings are very simple, but clear enough to recognize and enjoy. It will provide a good resource for budding scientists to practice drawing for their field journals by copying some of the drawings in this volume. The art (according to the endpapers) was produced using risography, a term and process with which I was previously unfamiliar. The text is high contrast and easy to read.

Five stars. This would be a superlative selection for school or public library acquisition, youth nature/garden groups, scouts, library activity groups, for gifting, or for the home or homeschooling library.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

What kid isn't interested in dinosaurs? Who wouldn't be intrigued by the idea of giant reptiles having once ruled the Earth before humanity's ascendence? I know I was as a kid! However, ideas concerning dinosaurs have changed since I was young and science has marched forward as new evidence has been discovered. Once thought of as scaly monsters, nowadays, evidence suggests feathers may have been in vogue.

The book can be split into a few sections. The first few pair of pages cover the tree of life and how animals are grouped, the different types of fossils and how they form, and talking about melanin and how it affects color in animal bodies.

Following those pages, we get into the main meat of the book: dinosaurs! Each pair of pages cover a different subject. They begin by grouping the subjects based on their environment. Beginning with forest dinosaurs and ending in snowy environments. Passed those pages, the book goes on to discuss mutants, the differences between males and females, and eye colors.

From there, the book switches to its second topic: prehistoric life. It discusses primitive planets, how modern animals started to emerge after the dinosaur's extinction, animals that have gone extinct after dinosaurs, and how early humans recorded them.

Each pair of pages contain illustrations of its subjects and a simple paragraph explaining. Around each illustration is a sentence explaining the illustration. The words chosen are easy for a teenager to read. Beginning readers would have a hard time while intermediate readers would have an easier time.

Now, the majority of the dinosaur section is conjecture. The wording of each sentence clearly states if an illustration is conjecture, an educated guess based on evidence, or fact from recovered fossils. Some people may look at this with a wary eye, but it should be remembered that science is not 100% foolproof and must work with the best evidence that it currently possesses. Again, each sentence of each illustration explains why it went with its coloring. It honestly shows a true look at science.

Overall, a nice book for anyone with an interest in dinosaurs and prehistoric life. The illustrations help spark the reader's imagination while being easy to read.

[Jennyfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaleidoscope of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life is a kid-friendly book exploring what we know about the colors and patterns dinosaurs and, yes, other prehistoric creatures. Filled with gorgeous illustrations, this book shows the pigments and textures we have discovered in fossils, mummies and animals depicted in prehistoric artwork, and extrapolated that to show what it is thought creatures would have looked like in various regions - from deserts to underwater and all the regions in between. It also looks at eye colour, mutations, modern creatures and much, much more. It's a comprehesive look at the evolution of life as we know it, and out place in the timeline.
Some of the concepts are speculation based on what we know of modern equivalents, but it's a fabulous book to begin exploring these ideas. Even better - while the language is accessible for kids, it's not dumbed down for them.

This is a fabulous book, whether you've got kids who love dinosaurs and animals or you're a kid at heart who loves dinosaurs and animals.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street]

This is a fantastic book for kids interested in dinosaurs and fossils. There is a lot to explore and so would likely be a book kids would read a little at a time and come back to. This is aimed at ages 8-11 so certainly kids who are reading would enjoy exploring this on their own.

I loved Kaleidoscope of Creatures: The Colors of Nature Explained for many reasons, but overall this Dinosaur one did not have the same draw to me. I felt like Kaleidoscope of Creatures was a unique book that stood on its own as something I hadn't seen before. This dinosaur content exists in other books that I think would be a bit more enticing for a 8-11 dinosaur-loving child to pick up.

That said -- the information is stellar and I really am fascinated by the different subject matter covered in this book. It's really not just dinosaurs!

***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Quarto Kids. Opinions are my own.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at what was hardly ever considered for dinosaur books when I was a kid – their feathers, colouration and the whole look. Camouflage, mating displays and threat markings are all here, as the critters concerned are categorised mostly through habitat – desert, forest, etc, before we strike out to look at the clues to prehistory held within aboriginal and cave art. It's a reasonably good book, with a wide range of species – as long as you're prepared to learn about their colours and very little else, although late spreads regarding extinct domesticated animals, beasts from legend and fantasy, and living fossils once thought extinct are definitely fun, and nudge this to four stars.

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating enrichment book for middle grades! There is so much to learn here, not only about prehistoric and extinct animals, but also the science and processes behind how we're able to learn so much about them. This is full of detailed illustrations with clear, easily understandable explanations. The book is organized by various topics (time period, different types of environments, etc.) so it can be read in sections as desired. This would be an excellent addition to middle school classroom and school libraries!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Lellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved dinosaurs as a kid and had a bunch of books on them. I would have loved this one too! It's good to see books get updated as more research and technology advances. I like how this book touches on how scientists can determine color of fossils and mummies as well as if hide was scaly or had feathers. It has nice illustrations as well. Overall, a nice kids book that will be great for any dino-loving kid.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has beautiful and colorful illustrations in a unique style of dinosaurs and other prehistoric life. I loved learning about how scientists can deduce what dinosaurs may have looked like. It really gets you thinking creatively and out-of-the box. This would be a beautiful book to own in physical form.

[Nette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot wait to gift this book to every child I know! "Kaleidoscope of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life" is epic. The illustrations are so colorful, educational, visually appealing and the text is filled with so many facts and full of knowledge that is perfect for children and adults alike. Perfect to gift children, to have in the library, this book is going to be a favorite.

[Stephanie Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the young dinosaur expert in your life has covered the basics, Kaleidoscope of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life will offer a welcome collection of unique and detailed facts and theories about the intriguing life of our prehistoric world.

Full review coming soon in Armadillo Magazine!

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This answers some of my students' most asked questions - what color were the dinosaurs? This helps shed some light on an almost impossible question. Highly recommended.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this! Easily digestible to juvenile readers and still interesting to adults. I plan on showing this to a class eventually.