Velociraptor was a "little, fast-running dinosaur" with sharp teeth and strong claws. "Dinosaurs," Dodson explains, "did not have to be huge to be fierce!" Velociraptor was about six feet long, "about the size of a man," and weighed "about the same as a large turkey." In 2007, scientists discovered that Velociraptor had feathers on its arms and possibly other parts of its body. The sentences are short and direct, appropriate for beginning or reluctant readers, but the information doesn't feel dumbed down. The full-color, full-page watercolor illustrations are good, showing the animals in their context without overwhelming with too much information. Still, the other books in the "Zoom in on Dinosaurs!" series are a bit more polished. The short "words to know" glossary and pronunciation guide at the beginning is helpful, if a bit odd. For example, it tells us that the dinosaur had "a special kind of hip" but fails to explain how it was different. This whole series is recommended for any child who is ready to understand that there were many different kinds of dinosaurs beyond the preschool favorites of T. Rex and Stegosaurus., Children's Literature
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