ALA Booklist (Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

This entry into the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series discusses fossil evidence of feathered dinosaurs and presents theories about the animals' lives and their probable position as the ancestors of modern birds. After focusing on the winged, prehistoric species Archaeopteryx , the discussion turns to the theropods, dinosaurs whose fossils have sometimes been discovered with prints of feathers. Washburn's appealing, soft-focus artwork fills up the pages. Apparently done in pastels, the pictures create both concrete images of fossil finds and imaginative scenes depicting prehistoric landscapes and animals. The book concludes with a two-page spread discussing feathers and encouraging children to collect, clean, and study them. An interesting addition to an excellent series.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2002)

Daniel LeBlanc is living with his aunt Judith when he receives a mysterious summons. Convinced that his father, who lives out on the frontier, is in trouble, Daniel joins an emigrant group on the Oregon Trail to search for him. Daniel is often too pious to seem realistic, and others are stock characters. The ending wrapped in Native American spirituality is unconvincing.

Kirkus Reviews

Zoehfeld takes a crack at the titular question for budding scientists. She traces the debate from 1860 to the present, describing a variety of evolving birdlike creatures, from Archaeopteryx, "ancient wing," discovered in 1860 to recent discoveries from the 1990s, like Sinosauropteryx. She describes theropod dinosaurs with hollow bones and wishbones, three-toed feet with claws, and feathers, features of modern birds. She notes that creatures were unlike modern birds in that some had only a ridge of feathers, a fuzzy down rather than flight feathers, long bony tails, or wings with claws and teeth. Soft pastel drawings show fuzzy and feathered proto-bird as they might have existed 125-145 million years ago. She provides a dinosaur timeline, and concludes, "The descendants of the feathered dinosaurs still soar through our skies every day." Young dinosaur enthusiasts will love this fascinating information. (activity pages) (Nonfiction. 5-9)

School Library Journal (Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

K-Gr 4 Like Zoehfeld's other books on dinosaurs, this is a visually appealing, informative, and interesting read. The author leads youngsters from the first discovery of a fossil print of a feather in 1860 in Germany to more recent findings in China of dinosaur fossils showing plumage, and differentiates between the various types of feathers and their purposes. She also discusses the link between theropods and modern-day birds. Pastel illustrations in pale tones provide vivid visualizations of long-ago landscapes and the creatures being discussed. An inset map shows where in China the fossils were located. The book concludes with a section on finding out more about feathers and a note on washing and microwaving specimens collected outdoors to rid them of germs and "tiny insect critters." Libraries that serve dinosaur fanatics will find this a welcome addition. Jean Lowery, Bishop Woods Elementary School, New Haven, CT