“Dinosaurs Roamed Arizona!” by Elaine A. Powers. Illustrations by Anderson Atlas. Independently published. 98 pages. $24.95; $19.95 paperback; $6.99 Kindle.
From the Petrified Forest and the Kayenta Formation to the Chihuahuan Desert, dinosaurs once abounded in Arizona. Author Elaine A. Powers gives young readers the scoop on them in this ambitious picture book.
From page one, it’s packed with information: do you know the difference between dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles? (I do, now.) Broken out by historical eras and periods, each dinosaur gets star treatment with descriptions, habitats and all manner of paleontological particulars. Of special note are stunning illustrations by Anderson Atlas that breathe life into these long-departed creatures.
And, true to Powers’ trademark style, the text is delivered in rhyme, enhancing its value as a read-aloud. The polysyllabic names of the dinosaurs might not come trippingly off the tongue, but give it a go — you and your young audience will have fun with it.
Tucsonan Powers, a former laboratory biologist, has written a number of science-based picture books for kids but had never taken up the subject of dinosaurs until now. It was a long time coming, but well worth the wait.
— Helene Woodhams
