The last dinosaur

by Jim Murphy

Depicts what life might have been like for the last dinosaurs on earth.

Genres: Dinosaurs, Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

An American author of more than 35 nonfiction and fiction books for children, young adults, and general audiences, including more than 30 about American history. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2010 for his contribution in writing for teens. Jim lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, in a hundred-year-old house with his wife Alison Blank, a children’s TV producer and children’s book author and editor, his two talented musician sons, a regal mutt, an African water frog that will live forever, and a house vast collection of books..

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my classroom I kept a corner with science books for the children to read and The Last Dinosaur is a science based story about when dinosaurs last were on earth.

This book is about three triceritops and how they spent their last days as maybe the last dinosaurs on earth at the extension event. It tells of three triceritops, two males and one female and how they tried to the end to live as they usually did.

It gives facts about what they looked like, what they ate and how they lived and raised their young. It also told about the preditors they tried to avoid but would fight when cornered. The danger from fire was also covered in the story. It is a great eductional book written in a way to present what the life of a triceritops would have been like. The illustrations add to the reality of the settings for these dinosaurs.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favourite books as a kid. Triceratops are my favourite dinosaurs and a small band of them are at the centre of this short story. I remember imagening what was actually the last dinosaur. The battle can be quite scary for young children. The art in the book is beautiful. I would often wonder how such a realistic looking result, especially for the environment was achieved. If you are going to read it for a child I recommend to give it a quick read yourself to check if they are ready for this. For me it's a book to cherish.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well-told story with factual information at the beginning and end. I have to wonder, though, since it was published in 1988, how much of it is still accurate. Either way, it was an enjoyable read.

[Kylie Abecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is chock packed with information and facts, though it reads more like an expanded dot point exercise. There are very few pictures, which had the kids bored pretty quick

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dramatic and melancholy book imagines the final days of the last dinosaur on Earth as she fights for survival. Older elementary readers who appreciate nature and science will be drawn into the story and its stunning illustrations, but adults will find much to ponder as well.

[Katie Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book predicts how the last days of the dinosaur might look. The story focuses a lot on death, but it is not to be looked upon sadly as the note from the author suggests.
I would use this book in my classroom in a science or history lesson when discussing dinosaurs.

[Margaret Samuels · Rating 4 out of 5]

G 5yrs: 'It was good because it was a dinosaur book and it has a tyrannosaurus and a triceratops and the meat eater got defeated. It was happy for the triceratops because they killed a T-rex. Survival makes them happy. I only gave it 4 stars because it needed more pictures than that."

[Eric Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved dinosaurs as a kid (and still do, to a lesser extant) and this was perhaps one of my favorite "dino stories": a group of triceratops try to survive first a T. Rex attack, then the supposed asteroid strike that ended the "age of the dinosaurs". Pretty exciting stuff for a kid.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

the title says it, a very sad beautiful book