School Library Journal (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

O'HEARN, Michael . Spinosaurus vs. Giganotosaurus: Battle of the Giants . ISBN 978-1-4296-3936-1 . LC 2009028144. O'HEARN, Michael . Triceratops vs. Stegosaurus: When Horns and Plates Collide . ISBN 978-1-4296-3938-5 . LC 2009028149. O'HEARN, Michael . Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Velociraptor: Power Against Speed . ISBN 978-1-4296-3937-8 . LC 2009028148. ea vol: (Edge Bks. Dinosaur Wars Series). 32p. illus. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Capstone . 2009. PLB $25.32. Gr 3-5 Think of the History Channel's Jurassic Fight Club , Jinny Johnson's Dino Wars (Abrams, 2005), and maybe toss in a bit of Bakugan, and you'll know the approach in this slender series. O'Hearn pairs dinos for face-offs, mentioningbut disregardingvariations in dates and distance that would make such confrontations unlikely. His brief texts offer data on the protagonists' size and their probable defenses, weapons, and attack styles. He then presents an imagined battle between each pair, ending with a victory for one. Possible unfamiliar terms are defined at the bottom of the page and again in the glossary (with phonetic pronunciation). "Fierce Fact" boxes pop up here and there, modest illustrations abound, and a teensy list of further reading and the FactHound site are included. Johnson's grabber is still in print. Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

You might call this "fantasy dinosaur wars" since the combatants in both books lived at different times. These scenarios pitting the two title dinosaurs against one another reveal their size, agility, strength, speed, weapons, attack style, and defenses. Absurd premise aside, the details of the play-by-play are fascinating and instructive. With toothy action sketches ("Get Ready to Rumble") and very brief sidebars. Reading list. Glos., ind.

ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Taking inspiration from the zillions of battle royales waged with plastic figures in backyards everywhere, the Dinosaur Wars series mixes scientific fact with senseless warfare. The first thing readers find out is that this fight never happened lociraptors died out some 10 million years before T. rex took the stage. Thankfully, this bummer is but a brief detour. Soon we are gauging each foe's strengths with chapters such as "Size," "Speed," and "Attack Style." Both beasts are given star ratings for each category while the text fills in stats, fun facts, and some attitude, too ("Velociraptor was a lap dog compared to T. rex"). The layout resembles an old-fashioned poster for a boxing bout, with stamped patterns upon a papery background. The illustrations of the dinosaurs, meanwhile, are angry-looking and two-toned til the fight begins. Then the art changes to rich (and bloody) full color, and the text slips into an action narrative. If you've seen Jurassic Park, you know how this particular battle ends, but that doesn't make the journey any less invigorating.