Do you have a young dinosaur fan in your family? If so, The Ultimate Dinosaur Encyclopedia, published by Welbeck, could be exactly what you’re looking for.
The hardback book, by palaeontologist Chris Barker, is packed with 160 pages of fascinating information and illustrations of prehistory’s mightiest beasts.
Using original CGI models and stunning paleoart, the publication has recreated the world of dinosaurs.
Going beyond the page, many of the dinosaurs have been enhanced with Augmented Reality (AR). View the page through the free app and you’ll see dinosaurs spring to life, complete with interactive notes – and you can even view them as terrifying life-size models.
Dynamic videos play on the page when viewed through the app, allowing readers to see dinosaurs move within the book.
What we thought of the book
I sat down to explore the book with my 10-year-old son, Ewan, who enjoys reading non-fiction books just as much as fiction ones, if not more. In fact, he’s currently gravitating towards publications about everything from science to business (maybe he’s aspiring to be the next Alan Sugar?).
The Ultimate Dinosaur Encyclopedia is aimed at children aged eight and above. And being a little bit older, Ewan was quite happy flicking through the pages on his own and trying out the app.
The book itself is colourful and appealing to children, especially because the illustrations are such high quality. They’re lavish, superbly detailed and dramatic, making them ideal for holding a young person’s attention.
The encyclopedia travels through time, starting with the Paleozoic Era, 541-252 million years ago, a period that saw several mass extinctions.
The app adds extra interest, especially for my tech-savvy son. And, as you’d expect, it was Ewan who was showing me how to use the technology.
We both loved seeing the dinosaurs leap out of the pages, as if they’d come to life – but not literally, thankfully, because neither of us relished the prospect of being a T-Rex’s snack.
You can even use the app to change the size of the creatures and move them around, which we had a lot of fun with. Ewan excitedly told me how he could make them “humungous”.
There are instructions on how to use the app in the book but it’s worth checking that your phone is compatible with the tech before you buy.
The encyclopedia continues right up to the present day, with a stark warning about the need for humans to change their ways to prevent vast numbers of living things disappearing forever. And this is an important message that all generations need to sit up and take notice of.
The book and app provide valuable insight into the enthralling world of dinosaurs. Together, they make an entertaining learning resource for curious young minds that also love tech.
How much is the book and where can you buy it?
The book is available as a hardback, priced £15.99. To buy, click here. Do check the website for the latest price as it may change.
About the book
Title: The Ultimate Dinosaur Encyclopedia
Author: Chris Barker
Publisher: Welbeck Publishing
ISBN: 978-1783125166
Pages: 160
Reading level: Ages 8 and above
About the author
Chris Barker is a palaeontologist. He has a BSc and an MRes in palaeobiology and vertebrate palaeontology. He has contributed to several children’s dinosaur reference books across multiple publishers.
Review by: Colette Warbrook
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*We were given a copy of the book in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.
18 comments
This looks like an awesome book for kids to explore. Dinosaurs are a fun topic whether you are an enthusiast or not!
I agree and there is so much to learn as well
My nephew loves dinosaurs, I bet he would love this, it sounds like a lot of fun. His birthday is coming up, thanks for the suggestion.
He would adore this book totally Melissa
Ooh what a fun little book! I love dinosaurs, so this would be perfect. A great gift for any kid and even an adult like me haha
Agree, for any adult as well as a child
I have two daughters who are huge dinosaur fans. They would absolutely love this encyclopedia!
Glad to hear that, it is a fabulous book
What a great book for the little ones and a great learning experience too!
I absolutely agree, a wonderful book indeed
Such a fun little book to engage your little one. Any kid will love to have it as a gift. Thanks for the wonderful review.
You are welcome
That’s is so Cool mom & son loved seeing the dinosaurs leap out of the pages!
It is super interesting and children find the book and app combination engaging
This looks like such an educational book on dinosaurs that kids will definitely find useful. It’ll make it easier for them to understand dinosaurs and it’ll make learning fun for them too since they can also use an app on the phone.
I agree, my son loves all things dinosaurs and he enjoys the book very much especially with the added app feature
This looks really cool and my god daughter would go wild for this book! She loves dinosaurs and even all things sharks and this book will be perfect for her book collections. Thanks for sharing!
How lovely to hear that! The book is so educational