BEYOND THE DINOSAURS

Giving younger dinophiles a chance to wrap their tongues around monikers like Deinosuchus, Pterodaustro and Archaeopteryx, this gallery of monsters that aren’t classified as dinosaurs but lived during the same time period presents 11 toothy creatures—generally seen, in the melodramatic illustrations, lunging at prey or gliding sinuously through air or water. Along with a pronunciation guide for each, Brown presents a selection of memorably stated facts—Kronosaurus “was longer than a bus. It had teeth as big as bananas”—to go with the art. Closing with a simple explanation of fossilization, this “Level 2” addition to the dinosaur shelves should soar off with the ease of a leather-winged Pteranodon. (Easy reader/nonfiction. 6-8)