Hi all,

I recommend two children's books on the evolution of life on
land...before the dinosaurs. I do not gain any money from the sales
of these books. I recommend them to you now, because I think they are
high quality, fun, factual, engaging, and educational.

In the interest of full disclosure, I served as a technical consultant
for these books. Basically, I helped to check facts on insects,
arachnids, and myriapods.

Both books were made by author/illustrator Hannah Bonner. I think she
intended to correct the popular misconception that dinosaurs were the
oldest land creatures. She illustrate the rich and interesting story
of life on land...long before the first dinosaurs appeared.

1. When Bugs Were Big, Plants Were Strange, and Tetrapods Stalked the
Earth (2004)

This text reviews the history of life on land during the
Carboniferous, Permian, and early Triassic Periods. It includes the
evolution of amphibians, reptiles, insects, arachnids, and myriapods.
The book ends with the appearance of dinosaurs.

2. When Fish Got Feet, Sharks Got Teeth, and Bugs Began to Swarm: A
Cartoon Prehistory of Life Long before Dinosaurs (2007)

This text reviews the history of life on land during the Silurian and
Devonian Periods. It includes the story of the earliest land plants
and animals (i.e., millipedes, arachnids, eurypterids, insects). It
also includes the evolution and diversification of early fish.

I have included an additional book review below.


Best Regards,
Cary R. Easterday, Instructor

Department of Earth Science
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL

-------------------------
Hornbook
*Hannah Bonner When Fish Got Feet, Sharks Got Teeth, and Bugs Began
to Swarm: A Cartoon Prehistory of Life Long before Dinosaurs; illus.
by the author 
48 pp. National Geographic 10/07 isbn 978-1-4263-0078-3

Library edition isbn 978-1-4263-0079-0 
(Intermediate, Middle
School)

This scientifically thorough but humorous account of prehistoric life
focuses on the time between 444 and 360 million years ago during the
Silurian and Devonian periods. Readers accustomed to thinking that
prehistory is all about dinosaurs might be surprised to discover that
intriguing developments were taking place much earlier, particularly
in the seas. Bonner's friendly and engaging writing enlivens a
comprehensive explanation of conceptually challenging biology at a
level perfectly targeted to elementary- and middle-school readers. The
science is first-rate, framing factual information within the big,
important ideas of paleontology and geology. Equally effective are the
multilayered cartoonlike illustrations containing cultural references
for both adults and children. Most of the illustrations are not just
funny but truly scientific, demonstrating the power of illustration to
help make scientific ideas clearer through clever visual metaphors.
Bonner even slyly pokes fun at the children's science book genre with
an amusing spin on the obligatory experiment add-on (in this case a
"recipe" for how to make a land plant and a land animal). Appendices,
pronunciation guide, glossary, sources, and an index complete the
book. d.j.f.