Did a Dinosaur Drink this Water?

By Robert E. Wells
Hardcover : 32 Pages
January 1, 2006

Did a Dinosaur Drink this Water? is a children's book that deals with how water is used and reused over and over within the water cycle. Concepts are explained with help from dozens of illustrations.

Wells discusses processes like evaporation, precipitation, and how it is that we are drinking the same water molecules that the Dinosaurs did millions and millions of years ago. The book also talks about the importance of water to not only ourselves, but to all living things, and suggests steps that you can take to conserve water.

Recommended for ages 4-8. Includes an epilogue.

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Bird

By David Burnie
Hardcover : 72 Pages
May 5, 2008

Bird is one of many books in the DK Eyewintess series, which is known for its concise, informational paragraphs and wonderful use of photographs and images. Bird is no different.

The book contains sections on all aspects of avian life, and is complete with diagrams, photographs, and hundreds of captions. Flying, eating, and reproductive behaviors are topics that are especially highlighted, and the book contains some great comparison photos of feathers, eggs, and nests.

The concise nature and language of the book makes it most suitable for those of a younger age, but I’d say the graphics and diagrams are quite fun to look at for readers of all ages.

Contains a beginners guide to bird watching and identification, as well as a glossary and index.

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What’s Faster Than a Speeding Cheetah?

By Robert E. Wells
Hardcover : 32 Pages
January 1, 1997

In this installment of Wells’ science book series for kids we take a look at the concept of speed. What’s Faster Than a Speeding Cheetah? starts out with the titular feline and compares it to other animals, before moving on to planes, rockets, and to concepts like the speeds of sound and light.

Wells combines his child-friendly text with whimsical illustrations and diagrams to create a cohesive, informative work. One of my favorite parts is the fact that the Cheetah, Falcon, and other animals from the beginning move through the rest of book, first as passengers on the aircraft, and then in space suits.

Recommended for ages 4-8, or anyone who just wants to look at a fun book about science.

Contains some additional information in back, along with a chart of how long it would take various animals/machines to travel from the Earth to the moon.

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Dinothesaurus

By Douglas Florian
Hardcover : 56 Pages
March 10, 2009

Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings is a short, illustrated work that features the poems and paintings of Douglas Florian. All of the material relates to Dinosaurs or other prehistoric reptiles (since Plesiosaurs and Pterosaurs are not technically Dinosaurs.)

The book includes short poems, typically only a few lines long, that highlight a specific species or type. The poems are accompanied by a painting (often in collage style) of that animal, which also reflects the text in the poem. The poem on Deinonychus for example, mentions that they could ruin your whole day. The painting includes illustrations of Deinonychus with a background of newspaper clippings of days of the week.

Florian covers all sorts of species, some that I've never even heard of, like Minmi and Troodon. The drawings are rather interesting, and poems are cute and highlight an important feature of the species. Each poems also includes a pronunciation guide, which is especially helpful for Micropachycephalosaurus. The book also includes a glossary that covers all of the species mentioned, as well as a list of notable museums and fossil sites.

Overall I really liked this book. If you're looking for something with catchy poems and fun illustrations about Dinosaurs, then this is the book for you!

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What's Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew?

By Robert E. Wells
Paperback : 32 Pages
January 1, 1995

A companion book of sorts to Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is?, What's Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? looks at the very very small. Starting with the minutly sized, 3inch long Pygmy Shrew, it works its way down to tiny bugs, single celled organisms, and even the cells and their individual components.

Once again intended for children around age 4-8, the book attempts to explain difficult terms and concepts in a cutely illustrated format, with examples and comparisons. I never before would have thought to teach five-year-olds about quarks, but this book certainly tries hard to make these microscopic particles and parts understandable and accessible to those of a young age.

Overall it is a fun and informative book that I would recommend to anyone with a child interested in science, or just to anyone in general. It's been a few years since I've taken a microbiology class, and this actually worked pretty well for a very basic refresher! A glossary in the back provides child-friendly definitions for all of the terms covered.

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Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is?

By Robert E. Wells
Paperback : 32 Pages
January 1, 1993

Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is is an adorable book written with 4-8 year olds in mind. While it doesn’t exclusively cover animals, I enjoyed it so much that I’m going to add it in my bibliography anyway. Hey, it’s science!

Anyway, this book asks the titular question, and then, with use of charming illustrations and examples, explains how there are things much larger than the Blue Whale, and even much larger than our own planet and sun.

Wells tackles the concept of size by using ingenious comparisons between objects. For example, if you pretended our sun was an orange, and put it in a crate with 99 other “oranges,” you could neatly place that crate on the Supergiant Star Antares.. multiple times! Wells uses similar examples to move between increasingly larger and larger things.

I really enjoyed this book, and I feel it handled its topic very well. I’d image explaining the vast, expansive size of the universe to a 3rd grader might be difficult, but this book certainly makes it easier. And the lion drawing at the very beginning is exceptionally cute.

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