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DK Readers L2: Dinosaur Dinners
[DK Readers Level 2]
Featuring redesigned jackets, interiors, and up-to-date vocabulary throughout, "DK Readers" now have a fresh new look! Stunning photographs combine with lively illustrations and engaging, age appropriate stories in DK Readers, a multilevel reading program guaranteed to capture children's interests while developing their reading skills and general knowledge. With "DK Readers," children will learn to read-and read to learn!
It was eat or be eaten in the days of the dinosaurs. Step back in time and let these monstrous creatures tell you themselves!
Featuring redesigned jackets, interiors, and up-to-date vocabulary throughout, "DK Readers" now have a fresh new look! Stunning photographs combine with lively illustrations and engaging, age appropriate stories in DK Readers, a multilevel reading program guaranteed to capture children's interests while developing their reading skills and general knowledge. With "DK Readers," children will learn to read-and read to learn!
It was eat or be eaten in the days of the dinosaurs. Step back in time and let these monstrous creatures tell you themselves!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 2, 2025
For a book about learning different types of dinosaurs, this is okay.
For a book about learning about their DINNERS, it's... not okay.
I don't mean "not okay" as in specifically harmful, but... it doesn't really cover that? Like, ALL of the illustrations are "dinosaur(s) against flat white background" with the occasional non-dinosaur (ONE plant, part of the ground, a dragonfly) and almost nothing in the context of "this dinosaur is eating THIS."
Like, T. rex should be at least *threatening* to eat a smaller (or larger?) dinosaur. Instead, it's just against a flat white background looking menacingly at the camera or, in the inset, roaring at the sky. Okay, I guess on the next page it's next to a pile of... in context, it seems like a chewed-up, mangled dinosaur, but that's only from me struggling to discern what that mess is supposed to be. Actually having T. rex take a bite out of a WHOLE dinosaur, or posed as though about to do it, would show this off better.
Heck, Troodon (the first one featured) doesn't even explain what it eats, only that it can see everything. Does it hunt... other dinosaurs? Birds? Insects? Not entirely helpful! Gallimimus is featured with a dragonfly hovering near its mouth, which suggests it ate insects, but the description says "both plants and meat." Insects... aren't either, in the biological sense. Sure, they might be covered under "omnivore," but then why specify "both plants and meat" if insects count?
(I hadn't heard of Gallimimus before reading this, so I can't even say how big it was to accurately note that myself. Only T. rex is described in terms of size (about two stories), and even Barosaurus is just described as "much taller" than any of the meat eaters, though at least it's shown EATING something.)
Good for learning to read, bad for *showing* what they eat.
For a book about learning about their DINNERS, it's... not okay.
I don't mean "not okay" as in specifically harmful, but... it doesn't really cover that? Like, ALL of the illustrations are "dinosaur(s) against flat white background" with the occasional non-dinosaur (ONE plant, part of the ground, a dragonfly) and almost nothing in the context of "this dinosaur is eating THIS."
Like, T. rex should be at least *threatening* to eat a smaller (or larger?) dinosaur. Instead, it's just against a flat white background looking menacingly at the camera or, in the inset, roaring at the sky. Okay, I guess on the next page it's next to a pile of... in context, it seems like a chewed-up, mangled dinosaur, but that's only from me struggling to discern what that mess is supposed to be. Actually having T. rex take a bite out of a WHOLE dinosaur, or posed as though about to do it, would show this off better.
Heck, Troodon (the first one featured) doesn't even explain what it eats, only that it can see everything. Does it hunt... other dinosaurs? Birds? Insects? Not entirely helpful! Gallimimus is featured with a dragonfly hovering near its mouth, which suggests it ate insects, but the description says "both plants and meat." Insects... aren't either, in the biological sense. Sure, they might be covered under "omnivore," but then why specify "both plants and meat" if insects count?
(I hadn't heard of Gallimimus before reading this, so I can't even say how big it was to accurately note that myself. Only T. rex is described in terms of size (about two stories), and even Barosaurus is just described as "much taller" than any of the meat eaters, though at least it's shown EATING something.)
Good for learning to read, bad for *showing* what they eat.
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July 27, 2017Title: Dinosaur Dinners
Author: Lee Davis
Illustrated By:
Goodreads Star Rating: 3.54
Categories/Genres: Early Reader/Non Fiction
Copyright Date: 2015
Estimate of Age Level of Interest: K-3
Estimate of Reading Level: 6-8
Brief description:
This book identifies several dinosaurs with some facts about each of them with an emphasis on classification by what they eat. Each dinosaur’s name has a phonetic pronunciation when introduced.
Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book.
This book is narrated by the dinosaurs themselves is detailed with italicized text, bold words, graphic, and text boxes which make it easier for young readers to pick out details. The illustrations are detailed and realistic. Dinosaur names are spelled phonetically when introduced and are also listed in a glossary in the back of the book.
In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience?
This early reader is appropriate for young readers. It is a beginning DK Reader Level 2 (Beginning to read alone.). The simple information text ensures that readers will want to read while learning about dinosaurs.
Awards (if any): N/A
Citations for Published Reviews: N/A
Author: Lee Davis
Illustrated By:
Goodreads Star Rating: 3.54
Categories/Genres: Early Reader/Non Fiction
Copyright Date: 2015
Estimate of Age Level of Interest: K-3
Estimate of Reading Level: 6-8
Brief description:
This book identifies several dinosaurs with some facts about each of them with an emphasis on classification by what they eat. Each dinosaur’s name has a phonetic pronunciation when introduced.
Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book.
This book is narrated by the dinosaurs themselves is detailed with italicized text, bold words, graphic, and text boxes which make it easier for young readers to pick out details. The illustrations are detailed and realistic. Dinosaur names are spelled phonetically when introduced and are also listed in a glossary in the back of the book.
In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience?
This early reader is appropriate for young readers. It is a beginning DK Reader Level 2 (Beginning to read alone.). The simple information text ensures that readers will want to read while learning about dinosaurs.
Awards (if any): N/A
Citations for Published Reviews: N/A
September 27, 2017
2.5 stars -- Definite kid appeal, but I didn't like the inconsistency of the illustrations. Some appeared to be photos of model dinosaurs, others paintings, others CGI. The speech balloons on some of the pages were a little silly, but it will get kids reading and learning about an endlessly appealing subject and that's a good thing.
August 24, 2017
A great book about what the dinosaurs ate. Plus it breaks down the different dinosaur names into easy to pronounce pieces. (Of course your kids probably know all the name of all the dinosaurs anyway.) Has a nice review page at the end.
March 29, 2019
I liked it because it told you about dinosaurs. I learned that there are 3 types of dinosaurs. They are herbivores (who eat plants), carnivores (who eat meat), and omnivores (who eat both meat and plants).
December 19, 2017
It's okay. It didn't stand out as anything special, but it isn't bad. The pronunciations for the dino names helped me more than the kids. (Only because they already knew them.)
January 28, 2022
An important lesson on the differences between carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores, but the pictures are gross.
February 21, 2022
The t-rex was bad 🙂
May 22, 2022
What a great book
April 3, 2024
Había fotos bien chistosas jajajajja, q divertidos son los dinosaurios!
October 19, 2024
1 ugly troodontid! ( www.amazon.com/review/R1D8TOUY7AACOJ/... ): 1/5
If you want the best children's book about dino diets, get Bonner's "Dining With Dinosaurs: A Tasty Guide to Mesozoic Munching" (which I reviewed: www.goodreads.com/review/show/3507230419 ). Davis's "Dinosaur Dinners" (henceforth DD), while not the worst, is still pretty terrible. In this review, I list the 3 main reasons why that is, besides the confusingly-messy organization.*
1) DD is annoyingly weird & generic in terms of writing: In reference to weird, the dino self-descriptions are written like rhyming couplets, yet they don't rhyme at all (E.g. See the Davis quotes); In reference to generic, said descriptions can apply to any number of dinos (E.g. See the Davis quotes).
2) DD is hit-&-miss in terms of getting the facts straight. This is especially apparent in "Meat Eaters": For 1, 37 ft/6 ft/52 ft =/= 12 m/2 m/16 m, respectively; For another, Troodon didn't just eat "small animals", but also plants; For yet another, Spinosaurus didn't have "powerful jaws". While Dr. Angela Milner is listed as the scientific consultant, that probably only applies to the 1st edition given that her own books get the same facts straight (E.g. Quoting Gardom/Milner from a 2006 book: "The course, spiky edges of troodont teeth were suited to slashing or shredding flesh, or possibly plant material").
3) DD is illustrated partly by Centaur Studios (whose models are outdated to varying degrees), but mostly by Pixel-shack: 1 thing that annoys me about their digital paleoart is that even as it gets less inaccurate, it still looks weird, but not in the same way as it used to; While their older work looks like they mashed animal images together in Ganbreeder, their newer work looks like they mashed up piles of moist modeling clay ( https://web.archive.org/web/202009231... ); This is especially apparent with the large, front-facing nightmare image of Pixel-shack's Troodon on pages 6-7 ( https://archive.ph/oLIx1 ); Compare that to GSPaul's Troodon from 1988 (which is shrink-wrapped by modern standards, but otherwise accurate: https://archive.ph/jGTib ); Put another way, to paraphrase Mike Wazowski, "If you're gonna [scare kids], do it properly."
*I think DD was meant to be arranged by diet (1st carnivores, then herbivores, & then omnivores), but there are so many inconsistently-used dinos & features that it's hard to tell what the editors were going for.
Quoting Davis (in reference to Troodon, though many theropods had good eyesight): "I am a dinosaur ready for my breakfast[...]I can see you, wherever you are."
Quoting Davis (in reference to Herrerasaurus, though many theropods were fast runners): "I am a dinosaur ready for my lunch[...]I can catch you, even if you run."
If you want the best children's book about dino diets, get Bonner's "Dining With Dinosaurs: A Tasty Guide to Mesozoic Munching" (which I reviewed: www.goodreads.com/review/show/3507230419 ). Davis's "Dinosaur Dinners" (henceforth DD), while not the worst, is still pretty terrible. In this review, I list the 3 main reasons why that is, besides the confusingly-messy organization.*
1) DD is annoyingly weird & generic in terms of writing: In reference to weird, the dino self-descriptions are written like rhyming couplets, yet they don't rhyme at all (E.g. See the Davis quotes); In reference to generic, said descriptions can apply to any number of dinos (E.g. See the Davis quotes).
2) DD is hit-&-miss in terms of getting the facts straight. This is especially apparent in "Meat Eaters": For 1, 37 ft/6 ft/52 ft =/= 12 m/2 m/16 m, respectively; For another, Troodon didn't just eat "small animals", but also plants; For yet another, Spinosaurus didn't have "powerful jaws". While Dr. Angela Milner is listed as the scientific consultant, that probably only applies to the 1st edition given that her own books get the same facts straight (E.g. Quoting Gardom/Milner from a 2006 book: "The course, spiky edges of troodont teeth were suited to slashing or shredding flesh, or possibly plant material").
3) DD is illustrated partly by Centaur Studios (whose models are outdated to varying degrees), but mostly by Pixel-shack: 1 thing that annoys me about their digital paleoart is that even as it gets less inaccurate, it still looks weird, but not in the same way as it used to; While their older work looks like they mashed animal images together in Ganbreeder, their newer work looks like they mashed up piles of moist modeling clay ( https://web.archive.org/web/202009231... ); This is especially apparent with the large, front-facing nightmare image of Pixel-shack's Troodon on pages 6-7 ( https://archive.ph/oLIx1 ); Compare that to GSPaul's Troodon from 1988 (which is shrink-wrapped by modern standards, but otherwise accurate: https://archive.ph/jGTib ); Put another way, to paraphrase Mike Wazowski, "If you're gonna [scare kids], do it properly."
*I think DD was meant to be arranged by diet (1st carnivores, then herbivores, & then omnivores), but there are so many inconsistently-used dinos & features that it's hard to tell what the editors were going for.
Quoting Davis (in reference to Troodon, though many theropods had good eyesight): "I am a dinosaur ready for my breakfast[...]I can see you, wherever you are."
Quoting Davis (in reference to Herrerasaurus, though many theropods were fast runners): "I am a dinosaur ready for my lunch[...]I can catch you, even if you run."
May 8, 2015
Ages 6-8
Transitional
I liked that this book included information about a lot of dinosaurs that I (and children, presumably) don't know a lot about. I can only read about brontosaurus and t-rex so many times before I am bored. So I'm glad there was some additional interesting dinosaurs to read about.
The information was very clear, and written using simple language. I liked that small text boxes linked new information about dinosaurs to information about animals that children may have seen in zoos. (Like comparing the styracosaurus horn to that of a rhinoceros.)
My problem with this book, and one that should have been apparent by the title, is that there is a lot of anthropomorphism going on. The words are told from the viewpoint of the dinosaur. "I am a dinosaur who eats nothing but plants. I stay close to my babies to protect them from meat eaters." Because of this, I bumped it from 4 stars to 2. I would probably not use this book in my classroom, but would look for another dinosaur book that could give the same information without the dinosaurs saying things like, "I am a dinosaur ready for my lunch."
Transitional
I liked that this book included information about a lot of dinosaurs that I (and children, presumably) don't know a lot about. I can only read about brontosaurus and t-rex so many times before I am bored. So I'm glad there was some additional interesting dinosaurs to read about.
The information was very clear, and written using simple language. I liked that small text boxes linked new information about dinosaurs to information about animals that children may have seen in zoos. (Like comparing the styracosaurus horn to that of a rhinoceros.)
My problem with this book, and one that should have been apparent by the title, is that there is a lot of anthropomorphism going on. The words are told from the viewpoint of the dinosaur. "I am a dinosaur who eats nothing but plants. I stay close to my babies to protect them from meat eaters." Because of this, I bumped it from 4 stars to 2. I would probably not use this book in my classroom, but would look for another dinosaur book that could give the same information without the dinosaurs saying things like, "I am a dinosaur ready for my lunch."
May 3, 2015
Dinosaur Dinners has turned into one of my favorite informational reads! All young and curious readers who love dinosaurs or otherwise will find something fun and interesting in this picture book. Each page features a different dinosaur complete with realistc visuals, fun facts, and specific information on what that dino eats. Children learn the difference between an herbivore and a carnivore along with all different types of dinosaurs.
True to an informational book, this one is detailed with italicized text, bold words, graphics, and bordered text. These things make it easy for young readers to pick out details and learn more than they might from reading an average book! The graphics and facts make this a fun and educational read for all young readers, and adults alike! I would recommend this book for every classroom that's filled with curious dinosaur lovers. THis would also be a great book for dinosaur studies done in the classroom, because of it's focus on food!
True to an informational book, this one is detailed with italicized text, bold words, graphics, and bordered text. These things make it easy for young readers to pick out details and learn more than they might from reading an average book! The graphics and facts make this a fun and educational read for all young readers, and adults alike! I would recommend this book for every classroom that's filled with curious dinosaur lovers. THis would also be a great book for dinosaur studies done in the classroom, because of it's focus on food!
June 23, 2008
A brief introduction to meat eaters, plant eaters, and one omnivore. Good for a begining reader or budding palentologist.
Includes large colorful pictures, limited text, and a phonetic pronunciation guide.
Includes large colorful pictures, limited text, and a phonetic pronunciation guide.
June 23, 2017
Good basic overview of several dinosaurs with some facts about each of them and an emphasis on classification by what they ate using carnivore, omnivore, and herbivore vocabulary words. Helpful pronunciation guide for the harder dinosaur names!
April 7, 2009
This was not a great book, but told about what dinosaurs ate.
March 1, 2015
Dinosaur Dinners (DK Readers: Level 2: Beginning to Read Alone)
Davis, Lee
great early reader teaching about dinosaurs
Davis, Lee
great early reader teaching about dinosaurs
September 13, 2012
Good for ones interested in Dino's. Provides pronunciations and little facts.
July 3, 2013
I loved it because it was all about dinosaurs and I like dinosaurs because they're cool.
July 3, 2013
i liked learning about the dinosaurs.
December 4, 2010
informational book about dinosaurs! great pictures! 2nd-4th grade
May 3, 2016
Just okay.
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June 11, 2018non fiction informational
December 11, 2018
This book is all about dinosaurs. Each dino introduces itself and then some facts are given about each one. It is written with easy vocabulary with the exception of the names of the dinosaurs.
I like the pictures in this book mostly because they're of dinosaurs, and I like how each dino is personified a little bit. The pronunciation guides for the names of the dinosaurs is crucial though I can also see kids having fun trying to make up their own pronunciations.
You can't go wrong with dinosaurs or dragons, and that's a fact. Kids love both of them. When we have nonfiction independent reading time, this book will definitely be given a strong recommendation from me.
I like the pictures in this book mostly because they're of dinosaurs, and I like how each dino is personified a little bit. The pronunciation guides for the names of the dinosaurs is crucial though I can also see kids having fun trying to make up their own pronunciations.
You can't go wrong with dinosaurs or dragons, and that's a fact. Kids love both of them. When we have nonfiction independent reading time, this book will definitely be given a strong recommendation from me.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews