Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age

by Cheryl Bardoe (Author)

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Mammoths and mastodons roamed the earth for more than a million years, and then suddenly went extinct. What was everyday life like for these colossal cousins of the modern elephant? What did they eat? How did they fit into their Ice Age landscape? Why did they disappear? These questions and more are answered in this fascinating book that presents the latest research, drawing on the recent discovery of a fully frozen baby mammoth--which has allowed scientists to learn more than they ever could have known just from studying bones and fossils. Profusely illustrated, Mammoths and Mastodons features photographs of archaeological digs, scientists at work in the field and in labs, and archival relics. Specially commissioned artwork also brings the story of mammoths and mastodons to life. The book includes a bibliography, a glossary, and an index. Exhibition schedulePublication will coincide with the Field Museum exhibit Mammoths and Mastodons, which runs from March 5 through September 6 in Chicago and is then projected to tour up to 10 venues through 2014. March 5-September 6, 2010: The Field Museum, ChicagoOctober 16, 2010-January 9, 2011: City TBANovember 25, 2011-April 15, 2012: City TBAMay 26-September 3, 2012: City TBAOctober 13, 2012-January 13, 2013: Museum of Science, Boston February 23-May 27, 2013: City TBAMay 10-September, 2014: City TBA F&P level: V F&P genre: I
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Hardcover
$19.95

School Library Journal

Gr 57Mammoths tend to get a lot of press, while their mastodon cousins accumulate footnotes, so it's nice to see mastodon getting second-banana billing in this attractive look at Ice Age favorites. Bardoe begins with the discovery of a marvelously preserved infant mammoth in Northern Siberia and goes on to discuss anatomy (comparing mastodon tusks and teeth, for example) and to postulate on probable Proboscidan behaviors based on fossil finds and extrapolation of modern elephant lifestyles. The readable text includes two fictional scenarios for fossils being found where they were (e.g., a young bull trapped in a steeper-than-expected water hole) and is nicely larded with interesting information boxes on such topics as "Treasures from the Permafrost." Excellent color photos and competent artwork lend visual interest, as does a Proboscidan "family tree" and a pair of maps (one of which, on Ice Age boundaries, may prove a tad confusing due to overlaps). Team this with Sandra Markle's dramatic "Outside and Inside Woolly Mammoths" (Walker, 2007) or Windsor Charlton's investigation of the Jarkov mammoth in "Woolly Mammoth: Life, Death, and Rediscovery" (Scholastic, 2001) for a grand view of an Ice Age icon. Eye-catching and informative."Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY" Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Cheryl Bardoe
Cheryl Bardoe is a former senior project manager of exhibitions at the Field Museum in Chicago. She lives in Wallingford, Connecticut.

Jos. A. Smith is a well-known illustrator of numerous books for children. He is a professor of fine arts at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. He lives in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Classification
-
ISBN-13
9780810984134
Lexile Measure
1080
Guided Reading Level
V
Publisher
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date
March 01, 2010
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF003050 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures
Library of Congress categories
Mammoths
Mastodons
Paleontology
Pleistocene
Orbis Pictus Award
Honor Book 2011 - 2011
Young Hoosier Book Award
Nominee 2014 - 2014

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