From the woolly mammoth to the Indricotherium, the largest land mammal ever, paleontologist Brown describes ten extraordinary, but now extinct, mammals, plus the surviving Homo sapien [sic]. Each double-page spread includes a colored illustration of the mammal in its environment, pronunciation of its name and a short description, usually emphasizing its eating habits. The last page illustrates and describes the work of paleontologists, although that word is not used. An author’s note explains the time covered in this survey, which is ordered for dramatic effect, not for chronology. This is straightforward information, presented in an interesting and accessible package for developing readers, although they might find the table of contents more helpful if all the pages were numbered. In a series aimed at offering high-interest stories, this more than fills the bill, and is a welcome accompaniment to The Day the Dinosaurs Died (May 2006) by the same team. (Nonfiction. 6-8)
