Encyclopedia Prehistorica Sharks and Other Sea Monsters Pop-Up (Sabuda Encyclopedias)

Gr 1-5 -This companion to "Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs" (Candlewick, 2005) uses equally amazing pop-up illustrations to introduce a fascinating array of ancient sea creatures. From the creepy-crawly invertebrates of the Paleozoic Era to the toothy reptiles of the Mesozoic to the mammoth mammals of the Cenozoic, the enjoyably chatty text offers brief sketches of the changing environment and its inhabitants. The colorful spreads feature large, often breathtaking paper-engineered renderings of prehistoric species, supplemented by smaller, booklike foldouts that provide additional information along with more visual fireworks. Readers will meet a feisty pterygotus (a lobster look-alike that grew to seven feet), an eight-ton sarcosuchus (a crocodilian with a -horrendous overbite, and -&nearly 100 teeth, some the size of railroad spikes! -), and a massive megalodon (a shark ancestor with jaws that -could open wide enough to swallow a hippopotamus whole -). Spectacular effects include a three-dimensional kronosaurus skeleton with intricately sculpted vertebrae, tinted plastic inserts that evoke murky underwater scenes, and an action-packed, pop-up battle between two long-necked behemoths. There is not much detail here, but the authors do include amusing tidbits about outlandish fossil hunters and references to legendary monsters (Kraken, giant sea snakes, etc). Fun from cover to cover, this attention-grabbing offering will captivate readers, despite its delicate structure and limited shelf life." -Joy Fleishhacker, " School Library Journal Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Robert Sabuda's finest pop-up book to date. . . . A real work of art.
—Entertainment Weekly

Flipping through...is like witnessing the grand finale of a fireworks display.
—New York Times Book Review