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Think Dinosaurs

Think Dinosaurs

Children

Few youngsters can resist the excitement of those scary, but mysterious creatures called dinosaurs. Naturally there are lots of books about dinosaurs. Most are written with a young audience in mind. Some, of course, are better than others. While most of the dinosaur books published today feature wonderful illustrations, many of these books unfortunately interpret these creatures in an evolutionary context. Still, there are a number of dinosaur titles which promote a young earth view. Within this number, there are books with different themes. Some of them discuss specific dinosaurs in some detail, where the fossils are found, the relative depth of the rocks in which they are found, how much of the skeleton has been found, anatomical details and possible lifestyles, and so on. These books generally also include chapters on the Biblical context of dinosaur occurrences. Then there are other books which more fully discuss the Scriptural time frame when dinosaurs lived. Details concerning specific dinosaurs are in such cases, more incidental.

Ken Ham’s new book Dinosaurs for Kids can be included within the latter category. Unlike Dinosaurs of Eden, also by Ken Ham and others, which is written for young children (ages 4-7 perhaps), this new book provides a much more detailed discussion of the historical context of dinosaur discoveries. This book is aimed at upper elementary age children, perhaps ages 8-12.

The book features inserted half pages which provides extra details of a situation. Also the context of dinosaur history is presented in terms of seven words, each beginning with the letter “f”, for easier memory recall. Thus we move from the theme “formed”, to “fearless, fallen, flood, faded, found and finally fiction.” Some sections merit more attention than others, but various dinosaur examples and “4 fast facts” help to keep the discussion moving along well.

Obviously this book is an ideal addition to a youngster’s collection of dinosaur books. No one title satisfies all interests, but for interesting discussion suitable for the upper elementary audience, this one is a great choice.

Ken Ham. 2009. Dinosaurs for Kids. Hardcover. Full colour. Master Books. 64 pages.



June 2011

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