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Magic School Bus Science Readers
The Magic School Bus Flies With The Dinosaurs
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Transported back in time on the Magic School Bus to the age of the dinosaurs, Ms. Frizzle's class looks for clues among the animals they find there about whether or not some dinosaurs had feathers.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published March 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 17, 2019
امتیازی که به این کتاب دادم، برای نسخه فارسی انتشارات پیام آزادی است که آیدین عمیق ترجمهاش کرده است
August 8, 2013
Let me preface this by saying that I am not a paleontologist. I could not be further from being a paleontologist. I am not excruciatingly uninformed about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals--and would even dare say that I know ever so slightly more than the average person--but bear in mind that it is entirely plausible that this book could contain outdated theories, misconceptions, or other forms of misinformation or mistakes that I, being reasonably ignorant on the subject of dinosaurs, would not be able to spot. That said, here's my best shot at a review for this.
The Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs, being a Level 2 Scholastic Reader, features "vocabulary and sentence length for beginning readers" and is intended for very young children. According to the acknowledgements in the book, Carl Mehlina and Sean Mortha of the American Museum of Natural History in NYC supplied "their expert advice in preparing this manuscript". So it is reasonable to assume that this book was scientifically accurate when it was published in 2005.
However, as I'm sure anyone can imagine, the progression of science didn't exactly halt in 2005, and I'd hazard a guess that by now, something mentioned in this book has likely been affected by research newer than the book itself. If you're terribly concerned about teaching your child only the most up-to-date dinosaur-related information, you would likely be better served by looking into books published more recently.
Anyway, the specific subject of The Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs is dinosaurs in relation to birds. When Ms. Frizzle's class does reports on various dinosaurs, Dorothy Ann chooses to bring in her pet parrot; this sets the class on a time-traveling, prehistorical adventure to examine the link between a parrot and a dinosaur.
Dinosaurs and prehistoric birds mentioned or featured in the book are Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Jinzhousaurus, Triceratops, Pterosaur, Mei, and Caudipteryx, Sinornithosaurus, Microraptor, Jeholornis, and Confuciusornis.
I'd tentatively recommend this book to parents reading to their children and/or children interested in dinosaurs or paleontology, as long as one bears in mind the potential for outdated information.
The Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs, being a Level 2 Scholastic Reader, features "vocabulary and sentence length for beginning readers" and is intended for very young children. According to the acknowledgements in the book, Carl Mehlina and Sean Mortha of the American Museum of Natural History in NYC supplied "their expert advice in preparing this manuscript". So it is reasonable to assume that this book was scientifically accurate when it was published in 2005.
However, as I'm sure anyone can imagine, the progression of science didn't exactly halt in 2005, and I'd hazard a guess that by now, something mentioned in this book has likely been affected by research newer than the book itself. If you're terribly concerned about teaching your child only the most up-to-date dinosaur-related information, you would likely be better served by looking into books published more recently.
Anyway, the specific subject of The Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs is dinosaurs in relation to birds. When Ms. Frizzle's class does reports on various dinosaurs, Dorothy Ann chooses to bring in her pet parrot; this sets the class on a time-traveling, prehistorical adventure to examine the link between a parrot and a dinosaur.
Dinosaurs and prehistoric birds mentioned or featured in the book are Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Jinzhousaurus, Triceratops, Pterosaur, Mei, and Caudipteryx, Sinornithosaurus, Microraptor, Jeholornis, and Confuciusornis.
I'd tentatively recommend this book to parents reading to their children and/or children interested in dinosaurs or paleontology, as long as one bears in mind the potential for outdated information.
April 22, 2018
Copyright- 2005
Number of Pages-32
Book format-paperback
Reading Level-1-2 GR Level- N/A
Genre- Fiction
Lit. Requirement- Science Fiction-1
Magic School Bus is the iconic book and TV show that follows Ms. Frizzle and her class to different time periods to learn about science. This particular one the class is learning about dinosaurs and they wonder if a parrot is a type of dinosaur. They travel to China when dinosaurs were alive and observe many birds. It discusses different types of birds and how they evolved. They observe carnivores and herbivores and different types of dinosaurs as well. They find out in the end that a parrot is from a prehistoric bird but has changed since the time period. They observe the fossils and are able to see the resemblance between dinosaurs and birds. There are facts on every page and lots of new large vocabulary words for readers. This would be a good book for a lesson on dinosaurs and it can be expanded on. Although it is true facts, there is a short excerpt in the back about the true events it is still fiction. It is fiction because and class is going to visit where the dinosaurs lived. I love this book and I think it is told in a way children will love and be interested in.
Number of Pages-32
Book format-paperback
Reading Level-1-2 GR Level- N/A
Genre- Fiction
Lit. Requirement- Science Fiction-1
Magic School Bus is the iconic book and TV show that follows Ms. Frizzle and her class to different time periods to learn about science. This particular one the class is learning about dinosaurs and they wonder if a parrot is a type of dinosaur. They travel to China when dinosaurs were alive and observe many birds. It discusses different types of birds and how they evolved. They observe carnivores and herbivores and different types of dinosaurs as well. They find out in the end that a parrot is from a prehistoric bird but has changed since the time period. They observe the fossils and are able to see the resemblance between dinosaurs and birds. There are facts on every page and lots of new large vocabulary words for readers. This would be a good book for a lesson on dinosaurs and it can be expanded on. Although it is true facts, there is a short excerpt in the back about the true events it is still fiction. It is fiction because and class is going to visit where the dinosaurs lived. I love this book and I think it is told in a way children will love and be interested in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2019
kid really likes this 1....though kid's pretty into dinosaurs overall...interesting info on evolution so if you don't believe in that stuff ...well....
August 19, 2020
We love the magic school bus series of books, they are very educational!
September 15, 2024
1 of the worst edutainment adaptations ( www.amazon.com/review/R1SNCFJECE6XS1/... ): 1/5
As not-so-good as "The Magic School Bus" show is ( www.deviantart.com/jd-man/journal/Rev... ), it's NOT the worst edutainment adaptation. That's because "The Magic School Bus Scholastic Reader Level 2" books based on the show are even worse. In this review, I list the 2 main reasons why I think Schwabacher's "The Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs" (henceforth Magic) in particular is that bad.
1) Magic's text & writing are lacking in both quantity & quality. This is especially apparent in the reports: For 1 (in reference to quantity), there's only 1 report for every 5 pages of Magic; Compare that to the 1 report for every 2 pages of Cole's "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs"; For another (in reference to quality), compare the Schwabacher quote to the Cole quote; The former is simplified to the point of being meaningless at best & misleading or wrong at worst.
2) Magic's reconstructions are shameless rip-offs of more famous reconstructions, just plain outdated/abominable, or some combination of both. This is especially apparent in the T. rex & the Sinornithosaurus: Not only is the former based on Osborn's T. rex from 1916 ( http://dino.lindahall.org/osb1916b.shtml ), but its face looks like Jeff the Killer's face;* Not only is the latter a shameless rip-off, but it's a shameless rip-off of Groves' outdated/abominable model of Sinornithosaurus (See the cover of Sloan's "How Dinosaurs Took Flight: The Fossils, the Science, What We Think We Know, and Mysteries Yet Unsolved").
In short, I recommend reading Cole's "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs" in conjunction with other, more recent books (E.g. Holtz's "Dinosaurs"). All the non-Cole "Magic School Bus" books (especially those about dinos) should be avoided.
*If you google "Jeff the Killer", don't do it at night.
Quoting Schwabacher: "THE STORY OF FOSSILS by Arnold
After millions of years, the ashes turned to rock. The dinosaur bones turned to rock, too. Now they are called fossils. People find the fossils and learn about dinosaurs."
Quoting Cole: "HOW A DEAD DINOSAUR COULD BECOME A FOSSIL by Carmen
1. The dead body sank in a river, and rotted away.
2. The bones were covered with sand.
3. In time, the sand turned into rocks.
4. The bones became hard as rock, too."
As not-so-good as "The Magic School Bus" show is ( www.deviantart.com/jd-man/journal/Rev... ), it's NOT the worst edutainment adaptation. That's because "The Magic School Bus Scholastic Reader Level 2" books based on the show are even worse. In this review, I list the 2 main reasons why I think Schwabacher's "The Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs" (henceforth Magic) in particular is that bad.
1) Magic's text & writing are lacking in both quantity & quality. This is especially apparent in the reports: For 1 (in reference to quantity), there's only 1 report for every 5 pages of Magic; Compare that to the 1 report for every 2 pages of Cole's "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs"; For another (in reference to quality), compare the Schwabacher quote to the Cole quote; The former is simplified to the point of being meaningless at best & misleading or wrong at worst.
2) Magic's reconstructions are shameless rip-offs of more famous reconstructions, just plain outdated/abominable, or some combination of both. This is especially apparent in the T. rex & the Sinornithosaurus: Not only is the former based on Osborn's T. rex from 1916 ( http://dino.lindahall.org/osb1916b.shtml ), but its face looks like Jeff the Killer's face;* Not only is the latter a shameless rip-off, but it's a shameless rip-off of Groves' outdated/abominable model of Sinornithosaurus (See the cover of Sloan's "How Dinosaurs Took Flight: The Fossils, the Science, What We Think We Know, and Mysteries Yet Unsolved").
In short, I recommend reading Cole's "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs" in conjunction with other, more recent books (E.g. Holtz's "Dinosaurs"). All the non-Cole "Magic School Bus" books (especially those about dinos) should be avoided.
*If you google "Jeff the Killer", don't do it at night.
Quoting Schwabacher: "THE STORY OF FOSSILS by Arnold
After millions of years, the ashes turned to rock. The dinosaur bones turned to rock, too. Now they are called fossils. People find the fossils and learn about dinosaurs."
Quoting Cole: "HOW A DEAD DINOSAUR COULD BECOME A FOSSIL by Carmen
1. The dead body sank in a river, and rotted away.
2. The bones were covered with sand.
3. In time, the sand turned into rocks.
4. The bones became hard as rock, too."
November 23, 2011
This is another fun book in the Magic School Bus Chapter books and Readers series of books. I like that these stories are short and have fewer notes and dialogue than the original stories. Plus, our youngest can help me read them, which is great since she loves them so much. The stories help teach science concepts and this one discusses dinosaurs, especially the fossils of those found in China.
We've read a couple of other Magic School Bus books that featured dinosaurs: The Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs (a picture book) and Dinosaur Detectives (a chapter book.) Both of those books were fairly similar in plot and I was afraid that this would be yet another rehashing of the same story. But it was refreshingly different and offered a glimpse into the evolution of birds as well as several dinosaurs we'd never heard of before, like the Sinornithosaurus.
We've read a couple of other Magic School Bus books that featured dinosaurs: The Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs (a picture book) and Dinosaur Detectives (a chapter book.) Both of those books were fairly similar in plot and I was afraid that this would be yet another rehashing of the same story. But it was refreshingly different and offered a glimpse into the evolution of birds as well as several dinosaurs we'd never heard of before, like the Sinornithosaurus.
September 25, 2012
The Magic School Bus books and movies have always been one of my favorites. I think they have always been relevent. This book is an easy read for young kids to read a fun story and learn about dinosaurs and prehistoric times also. It also gives some ideas for learning. Talking about it and then letting the kids draw dinosaurs. Also, one thing that the teacher did in the story is something we should do as teachers. One of the students asked a question about dinosaurs and instead of the teacher immediately raddling off the answer, she said well let's figure it out. It's great to let the kids wonder and explore. This books gives a great amount of information along with a story and I think children will love learning from the Magic School Bus!
February 17, 2014
This is a good book due to it being a Magic School Bus book... they are always fun, and always written where you can read only the 'main' story or the little cartoon balloon thoughts that the kids are saying and even the little paragraphs at the bottom of the pages telling additional information about the subject.
This one is about dinosaurs, I was a little disappointed as I don't think the writer didn't do as well of a job that they could have done with the subject.
And you don't have to read these in any type of order BUT if you pay attention to Ms Frizzle's dress at the end of each book it will tell you what book is 'next'.
This one is about dinosaurs, I was a little disappointed as I don't think the writer didn't do as well of a job that they could have done with the subject.
And you don't have to read these in any type of order BUT if you pay attention to Ms Frizzle's dress at the end of each book it will tell you what book is 'next'.
May 12, 2017
...birds came from dinosaurs? One species evolved into another species? That is, a reptile evolved into a non-reptile bird??? Sorry, but I don't believe that. It makes for a good laugh, though. Dinosaurs are one species and birds are another species. Perhaps it is more of a... two different species shared similar characteristics...
April 10, 2013
Both my 1st grader and kindergartener love this series, especially the books about animals. There is not too much text, and there are some fun long words to learn. They like noticing what new message is on the bus every page, and reading all the exclamations the kids make. Great books.
April 18, 2015
Flies with the dinosaurs was about dinosaurs and birds. I liked this book because I got to learn about dinosaurs. My favorite character was D.A. and Miss Frizzel because they knew most of the stuff. I would recommend this book to everybody because I want them to learn about dinosaurs.
August 10, 2016
An awesome introduction to the various time periods of the dinosaurs. The book also helps connect the living dinos of the past with the dead archaeological digs of today.
May 11, 2012
This is filled with evolution including that dinosaurs came from birds. Ugh.
October 22, 2013
My son it was just okay.
January 4, 2017
#science #dinosaurs
April 9, 2017
Colin lost interest with this one.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews