Book Description
The last few years have witnessed an unparalleled rate of discoveries of early birds and their dinosaurian predecessors. Written by a recognised authority in the field,
Glorified Dinosaurs: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds provides a comprehensive summary of these discoveries and addresses the fascinating topic of how modern birds evolved from fearsome dinosaurs akin to the celebrated Velociraptor. The book focuses on an evolutionary approach and presents current research and fossil discoveries. The title includes coloured photographs of fossils and fossil localities, many of which have been rarely reproduced elsewhere.
Glorified Dinosaurs: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds is an invaluable resource for every palaeontologist, ornithologist, evolutionary biologist, geology and life sciences student. It is also an exciting reading for people interested in dinosaurs and avian evolution and for all those with a general interests in the topic.
Customer Reviews:
Great Pix, good read, complete coverage, expert author........2007-06-15
Most books on evolution don't talk about the evidence in enough detail that you can really understand it, let alone be convinced by it. This is a tragic waste since there really is good fossil evidence for evolution, but the experts just can't be bothered to talk about it. There have been 3 recent exceptions to this rule: T. S. Kemp's The Origin and Evolution of Mammals, Jennifer A. Clack's Gaining Ground (origin of amphibians from fish), and now this book, which is the only one really accessible by the general public. Bird fossils is a field which have really exploded recently, I read lot's of science mags and try to keep up, but this book has tons of stuff I hadn't even heard about. The title of the review really says it all, I just want to add that the old debate about whether birds started as gliding tree dwellers or as two legged runners that flapped to go faster may have been finally settled. I won't give away the ending, though. Creationists will probably pay this book the supreme complicment of ignoring it completely, anyone with an open mind will be very impressed.
The best handbook on feathered dinosaurs and early birds.......2007-06-12
Luis Chiappe is one of the leading paleontologists working on Jurassic and Cretaceous predatory dinosaurs and primitive birds. In his "Glorified Dinosaurs" he summarises in clear words the arguments supporting the idea of close relationships between these two groups, but also discusses the alternative theories on the origin of birds and their flight. The illustrations - photographs, color drawings, reconstructions and diagrams - are of extraordinary quality. Photographs of virtually all the most important relevant fossils, such as Archaeopteryx and perfectly preserved feathered dinosaurs and birds from Liaoning in China, are provided. The book gives a very interesting insight into the history of discoveries and evolution of concepts. It is an invaluable tool for all the vertebrate paleontology teachers and a thrilling lecture for non-professionalists.
Excellent book.......2007-03-13
This book covers all the latest research, with readable text and splendid artwork and photography. It is a deluxe must-have book for dinosaur and paleo-bird enthusiasts everywhere.
The most Authoritarian Book on the Subject.......2007-02-10
I think it has come to be pretty well accepted by most scientists that the songbird outside your window is a descendent of the dinasaurs that once reigned supreme.
This book by a renowned paleornithologist, gives the best summary yet of how the dinosaurs evolved into birds. It begins with the development of feathers, and continues with the earliest fossil samples, including the famous archaeopteryx. (As best I can tell there is only one archaeopteryx in the United States at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, Thermopolis. At this date the display for these fossils is being built. It should be open sometime in May, 2007, but check with them first.)
This book is current as to early 2007, reflecting all of the latest findings (especially in China) of the steps in the descent of the modern bird.
This book is lavisly illustrated with hundreds of illustrations from color photographs of fossils to line drawings showing the variations in skeletal structure as the birds developed. It uses high quality paper, printing and binding to insure a long useful life.
Book Description
For 65 million years dinosaurs ruled the Earth - until a deadly asteroid forced their extinction. But what accounts for the incredible longevity of dinosaurs? A renowned scientist now provides a startling explanation that is rewriting the history of the Age of Dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs are pretty amazing creatures. Real life monsters that have the power to fascinate us. And they're fiery Hollywood ending only serves to make their story that much more dramatic. But fossil evidence demonstrates that dinosaurs survived several mass extinctions, seemingly unaffected by catastrophes that decimated most other life on Earth. What could explain their uncanny ability to endure through the ages?
Biologist and earth scientist Peter Ward now accounts for the remarkable indestructibility of dinosaurs by connecting their unusual respiration system with their ability to adapt to Earth's changing environment - a system that was ultimately bequeathed to their descendants, birds. By tracing the evolutionary path back through time, slowly but deliberately connecting the dots from birds to dinosaurs, Ward describes the unique form of breathing shared by these two distant relatives - and demonstrates how this simple but remarkable characteristic provides the elusive explanation to a question that has thus far stumped scientists.
Nothing short of revolutionary in its bold presentation of an astonishing theory, this is a story of science at the edge of discovery. Ward is an outstanding guide to the process of scientific detection. Audacious and innovative in his thinking, meticulous and thoroughly detailed in his research, only a scientist of his caliber is capable of telling this surprising story.
Customer Reviews:
Out of Thin Air: Science on Solid Ground.......2007-09-13
Mountain climbers struggling to breathe astride the 29,029 foot (8,848 meter) summit of Mt. Everest routinely see birds gracefully flying above them, engaging in nonchalant aerial acrobatics at altitudes where humans risk hypoxia (oxygen starvation) while standing still.
The avian respiratory system is at least 33% more efficient than any mammalian lung. Birds combine lungs with an extensive system of air sacs - permitting a unidirectional airflow of 'fresh' air with a higher oxygen content. Mammals are saddled with bidirectional lungs that mix 'fresh' and 'stale' (carbon dioxide-laden) air.
Since birds descended from dinosaurs - they are avian dinosaurs - what does this say about dinosaurian respiration, the world in which they evolved, and more specifically the atmospheric chemistry of the planet they came to dominate?
"Out of Thin Air: Dinosaurs, Birds, and Earth's Ancient Atmosphere" by Peter Ward hypothesizes that the history of atmospheric and oceanic oxygen levels throughout geologic time has profoundly impacted the nature of animal life on Earth - everything from morphology (body plans) and physiology to evolutionary history and diversity - was contingent on oxygen levels which have varied radically over time.
Ward, a paleontology professor at the University of Washington, and a NASA staff astrobiologist, is an expert in paleo-atmospheric chemistry and supports his claims with ample and compelling evidence.
Earth's atmosphere presently consists of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, the final 1% composed of various gases; carbon dioxide being the most notable and problematic. 4.54 billion years ago Earth's atmosphere was a hothouse dominated by carbon dioxide. Oxygen was so scarce that Iron could not rust. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria introduced oxygen into Earth's atmosphere - precipitating an oxygen crisis - the first known mass extinction.
Since the advent of photosynthesis atmospheric oxygen levels hare varied considerably. Only 5 million years ago (MYA) oxygen levels hit 28%. The early Cambrian (544 MYA) averaged 13% and levels peaked during the Carboniferous - Permian transition (299 MYA) at 35%. By the Permian - Triassic boundary (251 MYA) oxygen levels plummeted to less than 12%.
Mass extinctions periodically reshape life on Earth. The best known, the Cretaceous - Tertiary (K-T) boundary, ended the reign of the non-avian dinosaurs approximately 65 MYA when an asteroid roughly 10 kilometers wide gouged the Chicxulub crater near the Yucatan Peninsula, setting the stage for mammals, including Homo sapiens, to become the dominant terrestrial vertebrates.
Another extinction event, the Permian - Triassic (P-Tr), some 251 MYA, is informally known as 'the Great Dying.' Up to 96 percent of all marine species and 70 percent of terrestrial species were erased as global ecosystems crumbled. Life itself nearly died as a greenhouse gas spike caused temperatures to soar 10 - 30 degrees Celsius (18 - 54 degrees Fahrenheit), and oxygen levels plummeted when the oceans became the anoxic (without-oxygen) abode of methanogenic and sulfate-reducing microorganisms - amplifying global warming (methane is 10 times more efficient than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere) and poisoning plant and animal life with deadly hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg gas). The sky literally turned a sickly shade of green, a topic ably covered in Ward's superb Under a Green Sky: Global Warming, the Mass Extinctions of the Past, and What They Can Tell Us About Our Future.
Since dinosaurs evolved in the early Triassic - a period of suffocatingly low (to mammals) oxygen levels - any evolutionary innovations that enhanced respiratory efficiency would provide a compelling advantage. Ward contends that dinosaurs eclipsed the dominant Therapsida (mammal-like reptiles) and early mammals by evolving the unidirectional airflow lung and air sack respiratory system utilized by their avian descendents. In the Cynognathus vs. Eoraptor world of the early Triassic the race was to the swift and battle to the strong - our ancestors lost. Therapsids went extinct, early mammals retreated to niches where their respiratory and metabolic systems could cope with Triassic atmospheric conditions, and the reign of the dinosaurs began.
Along the way Ward lucidly engages a wide array of topics to make his case. The impact of continental drift (plate tectonics) and geochemistry (sulfur and carbon cycles) on oxygen levels are explored. Segmented body plans as a respiratory strategy, gills (trilobite, cephalopod, and decapod), and lungs of every variety (from alveolar to septate) are contrasted. The advent of endothermy (warm-blooded metabolism), evidence for same (turbinal bones in mammal-like reptiles and early mammals), and associated reproductive strategies (eggs vs. live birth) also illuminate Ward's insights. Circulatory advances (four-chamber hearts), even the upright posture of dinosaurs (Ward suggests the need to breathe while walking drove this innovation) are deftly dropped into a compelling evidentiary mosaic.
"Out of Thin Air" is more than a trendy title - the science shows how the dinosaurs literally emerged as a result of 'thin' air due to near-hypoxic atmospheric oxygen levels prevailing throughout the P-Tr transition. Dinosaur enthusiasts will be enthralled and mystery lovers will applaud Ward's 'science as the ultimate sleuth' approach to deciphering the history of life on Earth. Ward's Gorgon: The Monsters That Ruled the Planet Before Dinosaurs and How They Died in the Greatest Catastrophe in Earth's History makes an excellent companion volume.
"Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh why can't I?".......2007-07-28
Did periods of low oxygen in Earth's ocean and atmosphere - `thin air' - drive the evolution of animals? Ward meticulously correlates oxygen levels with virtually all animal species' evolutions on land and sea from the Cambrian thru-out the following half-billion years. Altho the timings of the oxygen/carbon-dioxide levels versus ancient animals' ages are both still somewhat speculative, Ward's theory seems to be the most plausible explanation I've read so far.
What caught my attention and attracted me to this book was the realization that birds migrate over the Himalayas (the book's dust-jacket and chapter headings picture Eurasian cranes in flight) while the fittest of our species struggle in the thin air to reach those heights. What enables birds to do that? Ward traces birds' respiratory system's origin to the pre-avian dinosaurs and says that at sea level birds' is a third more efficient than mammals' and at a mile high theirs is two times more efficient. However I was disappointed that he doesn't explain why birds' dinosaur ancestors survived the K-T extinction 65mya which killed off all the other dinosaurs, or how they evolved into today's birds. His focus is more on us mammals.
Some reviewers grumble that Ward's prose is flawed which impeded their reading. Granted it's a little rough but the fact that he's breaking new ground and promptly delivering the results to us, should earn him some latitude. The scope and novelty of his research is impressive, let's not quibble about its form. Perhaps his fault is that he rushed to publish his `first draft' rather than take the time to polish it, but I'm glad he did altho as I said, I think he wraps it up too hastily. (His "Under a Green Sky" was published just 5½ months later - I'll tackle it next.)
Provocative -- New ideas on paleobiology.......2007-03-02
Ward's book is really quite interesting to explain the "logic" of life's development on the earth, starting with the first animals (540 MA). Everything is linked to a timeline showing the rise and fall of oxygen levels over the geologic eras. It would be fatal to the book's premise, I believe, if subsequent research drastically revises this timeline.
As for criticism of Ward's writing style, there were creative forays in his writing that I most enjoyed. On a number of occasions, he takes us on an imaginary trip to visit Earth at a particular era. We are in some sort of conveyance that is boat, submarine, and plane. Like a tour guide, he explains what we are seeing -- bare rocks covered with moss and lichens, the faint haze of hydrogen sulphide in the air, the first primitive pre-phyla of the Burgess shale slowly moving across the sea bottom.
There is some repetition -- this can be criticized, but can also be helpful if one does not whiz through the book rapidly, but goes back every few days for another bite. This is not a thriller, but a rather challenging book of lay science. It is filled with mouthfilling Latinate words. A little extra help by way of some selective repetion is not that objectionable, I think.
One aspect of the book that is radically new is the analysis of the physiology of various prehistoric families of creatures. Their livers, their lungs, their feathers, their bone structure. Only in fairly recent times has this sort of discussion even been possible, and the field is sort of a "terra incognita."
Because the book covers new ground, it will remain to be seen how will the findings hold up in decades to come.
I found it intelligent, lively, and filled with new assertions and new insights. I do NOT agree with one reviewer that the book is too expensive. I got my copy from Amazon for a considerable discount from the nominal price.
Buy it if you think you will enjoy it.
Bad English. Good Science?.......2007-03-01
I found this work a bit of fascinating scientific conjecture, which held my interest even though slogging through its uneven and often ungrammatical prose was quite a chore. Not a piece of "lay science" but rather a work of scientific speculation aimed at a lay audience, this sometimes technical, and oftentimes flawed book will disappoint many at both ends of the spectrum, even though the ideas it presents are worth presenting.
I am not qualified to judge the GEOCARBSULF model upon which the book's major premises are founded. Ward uses this model to model oxygen levels in the past, and posits levels which are not necessarily consistent with certain other modern estimates. Whether we accept his model or not, the book has the virtue of putting forth his theories as explicit and numbered hypotheses. Over the long term this will make the validity of his various speculations more easily judged.
His two main theses are that during periods of low oxygen, speciation rates may have been low, but rates of evolutionary innovation in order to deal with metabolic stress were high, (high enough to be the main driver of innovation in most cases) and that when oxygen rates then later increased, speciation rates (but not necessarily rates of innovation) increased leading to the various explosions such as the Cambrian explosion so well explored in the recent literature.
Ward does admit that such correlations are not always strict. For instance, he admits that the rise of the insects to dominance seems to have paralleled the rise of the flowering plants, and that prior to the origin of the angiosperms, insects were a relatively minor group regardless of oxygen levels.
The book does not lack for flaws. Given that the explicit purpose of its publisher is to make serious works of science "accessible" to the general public, there are dozens of child-friendly black-and-white illustrations of various familiar fossil creatures, from the trilobites to the cynodonts.
Yet there is no illustration at all of the structure of the avian lung, or any actual lung for that matter, even though this is the main subject of the book! Did I miss the detailed anatomical diagrams that would have doubled this books value? The best we get is a very schematic diagram of "a lung" with basically oxygen in here, CO2 out there. There is no diagram of the spider's book lung, the land snail's lung, the mammalian lung, the crocodilian lung, the bird lung, or the various cephalopod and decapod pump gills.
Furthermore, as another reviewer noted, the prose is sloppy and frankly, sometimes atrocious. I literally had to reread several sentences on each page, a distraction that almost drove me to put down the book entirely. Ward's usage is often ungrammatical, he uses words that don't mean what he wishes to say, ("slant" to mean "topic") and he occasionally coins new words such as "paleoaltitude" (used but once) which are essentially meaningless. The book credits an editor. That person's effort seems to have consisted at most of spell-checking, if anything else.
Even at a discount from its full purchase price, this book is too pricy to recommend. Those who are considering purchasing it for the general enthusiast should consider another title. The overly long and often repetitive format is frustrating for anyone with any in-depth knowledge of paleontology, or good prose style, or who can remember what he was reading after a pause of a few hours. The entire book might have been condensed into a third its length, or into a two-part article in a popular magazine without losing anything essential. If you need this book for any academic purpose, consider a lending library.
The book, is probably worth two stars, but is widely over-rated. Ward's arguments are indeed there to be found. He does substitute thought voyages where helpful illustrations are lacking. You can read his theses, and figure out what he wishes to say. But making oneself clear is the author's responsibility, not a labor that should be foisted off on a lay readership, or a professional one for that matter.
Compelling!.......2007-02-18
Though countless books have been written on what killed off the dinosaurs, this book is unique in that it presents a compelling scenario on why they evolved in the first place, and an anatomical reason on why they were so successful. Not only does it discuss the evolution of the dinosaurs, it also discusses how fluctuations in the oxygen and carbon dioxyide levels in the Earth's atmosphere could have been the major factors in causing rapid evolution and mass extinctions thoughout the history of life on Earth. It is a fascinating read, in the same class as "In the Blink of an Eye: How Vision Sparked the Big Bang of Evolution" by Andrew Parker. Unfortunately, the writing is clumsy at times, and the logic is sometimes difficult to follow. And there is so much in the book that is work in progress. I expect the author to come out with a new edition in a few years with more data to support his hypothesis. And when he does, I hope he includes more illustrations of the animals he is talking about!
Book Description
A LEGEND ON LEATHER WINGS! The Indians called it the Thunderbird, a winged monster so vast that the beating of its mighty pinions sounded like thunder. But this ancient beast is not to be held in the cage of mythology. Today, from all over the dusty U.S. / Mexican border come hair-raising stories of modern day encounters with winged monsters of immense size and terrifying appearance. Further field sightings of similar creatures are recorded from all around the globe. The Kongamato of Africa, the Ropen of New Guinea and many others. What lies behind these weird tales? Ken Gerhard is in pole position to find out. A native Texan, he lives in the homeland of the monster some call 'Big Bird'. Cryptozoologist, author, adventurer, and gothic musician Ken is a larger than life character as amazing as the Big Bird itself. Ken's scholarly work is the first of its kind. The research and fieldwork involved are indeed impressive. On the track of the monster, Ken uncovers cases of animal mutilations, attacks on humans and mounting evidence of a stunning zoological discovery ignored by mainstream science. Something incredible awaits us on the broad desert horizon. Keep watching the skies!
Customer Reviews:
Good, but could have been better..........2007-06-12
I just bought this book about two weeks ago and since it's a light read I finished it in about three days.
It was a pretty informative book as these things go. Being mostly focused on the title creature "Big Bird" of Texas fame it didn't leave much room for the other mystery flying creatures of the world.
Though the author made an effort to include some of these other mystery flyers, it almost came as an afterthought.
Being from the area the author would obviously focus on his own backyard and I don't blame him, but more thought could have been put in the section on creatures from the other areas both in this country and in other countries.
Plus the fact that he included the "Mothman" in his living Pterosaurs theory, which is just insulting. Mothman has never been identified as a Pterosaur by any of the witnesses and this "fact" just seems to be pulled out from thin air, so to speak.
The Book also has many spelling and punctuation errors that could have been found had they had a decent editor.
In all, if you're from Texas or plan to travel there to do research, it's a great book on local folklore, but if you're from anywhere else in the world it really has no impact on the Cryptozoological hunt for the mystery flying creatures of the rest of the world.
Close to the edge.......2007-05-15
I enjoyed the book, I thought it was entertaining and informative on a subject considered taboo in most scientific circles, however it did not take me "to the edge" or the fringe if you will. The author mostly stayed clear of the most controversial aspects of flying humanoids, and mentioned some cases only in passing ie" flying human November 1975 Rio Grande area, and gave no details. He did not take the proverbial leap of faith and considedered the whole spectrum of the phenomena, the paranormal side, UFOs, etc. He kept it safe.
A fascinating read!.......2007-05-13
I was thoroughly intrigued by the author's account of sightings and other evidence of the existence of these fascinating creatures. A highly enjoyable reading experience!
More than meets the eye.......2007-03-18
I was disappointed when I took this book out of the Amazon.com mailer and saw how thin it was, but when I started reading it I realized it was PACKED with interesting research and personally investigated accounts - NOT just a bunch of speculation as is too often the case with this type of book. Anyone interested in Forteana will enjoy this book and I am adding the author to my list of writers whose books I will look out for in the future.
Monstrously Entertaining!.......2007-03-17
I first met Ken Gerhard a few years ago at Chester Moore's Crypto Conference in Texas; and since then our paths have crossed on various occasions - at gigs and out in the monster-hunting field, too.
I was pleased to find on first speaking with Ken that (like me and the good folk at the Center for Fortean Zoology who have published his book, and whose US Ofiice I coordinate) he is one who likes to get out there and into the thick of the action; rather than simply relying on the Internet for his data.
And I'm pleased to say that Big Bird! does not disappoint. For anyone with an interest in monstrous winged-things, Ken's book is essential and informative reading. And the fact that it's written by someone with a sincere passion for his subject matter makes it all the better.
So, if you are fascinated by the weird wonders that soar the skies of the United States and you want to know more about them, where they are from, and what they may be, I urge you to get hold of a copy of Ken's book - NOW!
Customer Reviews:
Birds are dinosaurs, but not all dinosaurs were birds. .......2007-10-03
This is a gorgeously illustrated but haphazardly written book about the feathered dinosaur fossils that have been discovered in China over the past decade. Its subjects are the relationship of dinosaurs to modern birds, the evolution of flight and feathers, new fossil discoveries, recent advances in paleontology and the authors' experiences in China. The book follows neither a chronological pattern recounting the authors' discoveries and research, nor does it develop an idea by progressing from basic concepts to more complex ones. This is unfortunate, because that is the usual approach and works well. Instead ideas and events are presented in no discernable sequence and this detracts from what could have been an excellent book.
The title is a pun on both the discovery of dinosaur fossils as well as of China itself. The authors recount anecdotes from their travels in China and their interactions with various Chinese, in the course of their fossil studies. The book does succeed in painting an intriguing picture of the contrasts that make up modern China. It is less successful in its discussion of dinosaur fossils. Much of the discussion hinges on dinosaur family trees relating to issues such as the origin of feathers and flight. This is a complicated subject and charts or diagrams showing genealogies and family trees are essential, but none are provided. The essential message is that just as all humans are mammals, but not all mammals are humans, birds are descended from dinosaurs, but not all dinosaurs were birds. There is a deus-ex-machina quality to how amazing fossils are pulled out of the cabinets of various Chinese researchers, as if there is an unending supply still in storage. The numerous full color photographs of fossils are very interesting but difficult for a non-specialist to interpret. The picture of a feathered dinosaur on page 184 is a fascinating illustration of how much our concept of dinosaur appearance has changed from the lizard-like creatures of years past.
The weakness of this book is the disorganized presentation of key concepts without the aid of charts and diagrams. Readers may want to try the more conventional and slightly dated, but simple and readable `Walking with Dinosaurs' by Tim Hanes based on the Discovery Channel, show for some background. The important positive contributions of `Unearthing the Dragon' are: 1) the exciting pictures of new fossils showing evidence of dinosaur feathers, 2) the concept that flight, feathers and birds are all separate and distinct concepts, 3) the idea that very many dinosaurs had feathers of some type and finally, 4) the picture of dynamic paleontologic research being carried out in China. Confounding our pre-conceived notion of China as a source of cheap out-sourced goods, we are shown Chinese scientists as worthy, peer collaborators in a fascinating academic field. This, no doubt, is the better way to think of relations with the future superpower.
Unearthing the Dragon.......2007-03-08
The Pictures are lovely and the book is written to give you a feeling for the country of China and it's people. You can appreciate the materials that are found in China more intimately. I feel the author wants to show his enthusiasm for the country of China. since he is so involved there.
I gave it a 4 due to the great photos.......2006-12-21
It is otherwise a 3. I agree with a lot of Linden's comments about this book, but it really could have used a strong editor to cut out some of the extraneous info (some of it reads like college guys bragging about how much they drank at last weekend's party) and use that space for more info on the discoveries in China. This would be a great gift for people who have an interest in other cultures and some interest in natural history but who don't like typical science books.
Fossil-tastic!.......2006-08-17
Nice easy read - Norell interweaves an array of stories as well as plenty of excitement about the fabulous fossil discoveries. Made me wish that I'd been on the digs with him! Some of the full page non-paleo photography is a bit 'arty'- I would have preferred more shots of the finds.
Good book - reommended.
Fascinating book.......2006-07-13
Not only is the discovery of feathered dinosaurs in Chinia very interesting but the author gives an excellant discription of life in China and the changes that occurring there. The photography and illustrations throughout the book are beautiful as well. I am looking forward to any new book that the author, Mark Norell, may write.
Customer Reviews:
A Dinosaur Tracker's Adventures.......2007-09-19
While the legendary R.T. travelled across the US and Mexico on his Harley (with camper sidecar), he kept his eyes open for curious objects. After years showing prize dairy cattle, he started his paleontological career with the finding of a new and special amphibian fossil. He ws soon mapping the mass of dinosaur bones at the Howe Quarry site for the famous Barnum Brown of the American Museum of Natural History, and continued that association while searching for foot prints of dinosaurs. This eventually led to Glen Rose, Texas where there were reports of large, three-toed tracks on and in the Paluxy River. While clearing some of these for photographing, he discovered that some large pits close by were really tracks of a creature with feet 38 inches long. A sauropod, the first ever so attributed! This book recounts many of this great man's finds and travails, a readable account certainly worth buying.
Average customer rating:
- When you're having fun
- A LANDMARK DEBUT IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE
- Imaginations will flow!
- Images of dinosaurs-Time Flies
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Time Flies
Eric Rohmann
Manufacturer: Dragonfly Books
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ASIN: 0517885557
Release Date: 1997-10-15 |
Book Description
Eric Rohmann's Caldecott Honor-winning debut is now available as a Dragonfly paperback. It is at once a wordless time-travel adventure and a meditation on the scientific theory that dinosaurs were the evolutionary ancestors of birds.
Time Flies , a wordless picture book, is inspired by the theory that birds are the modern relatives of dinosaurs. This story conveys the tale of a bird trapped in a dinosaur exhibit at a natural history museum. Through Eric's use of color, readers can actually see the bird enter into a mouth of a dinosaur, and then escape unscathed.
The New York Times Book Review called Time Flies "a work of informed imagination and masterly storytelling unobtrusively underpinned by good science...an entirely absorbing narrative made all the more rich by its wordlessness." Kirkus Reviews hailed it as "a splendid debut."
Customer Reviews:
When you're having fun.......2006-01-13
I wonder what the process is behind author/illustrators of picture books making their very first wordless title. Is it something they all secretly want to do but only a few dare to? Does everyone make one and then publishers get scared and refuse to publish them? Why are there only a few on the market today? Obviously when Eric Rohmann's, "Time Flies" won the Caldecott Honor it probably raised the status of wordless picture books everywhere. I'm not suggesting that it was the first book of its kind or even the best but since its publication we've enjoyed other wordless titles like fellow Honor, "The Red Book" by Barbara Lehman and "The Boy, the Bear, the Baron, and the Bard" by Gregory Rogers. Eric Rohmann would later go on to garner the full Caldecott Award for, "My Friend Rabbit", a book done in a style entirely different from that of most of his work. By and large Rohmann feels more comfortable with gentle surrealism as in, "Cinder-Eyed Cats" and "Clara and Asha", though he's not afraid to go off and make a "Pumpkinhead" for the heck of it. In "Time Flies" we are taken on a wordless trip back and forth through time with a creature that may well be visiting his own ancestors.
On a dark and stormy orange-skied night, a small bird flies into a natural history museum of some sort. As the bird glides, perches, and looks about the hall full of bones, things begin to change around it. A bolt of lightning lights up the scene and before you know it the bird has been sent back in time to when dinosaurs weren't macabre displays but living breathing creatures. The bird flaps about brontosaurus, flies just in front of pterodactyls, and finally (in a surprise move on Rohmann's part) is snapped up by the T-Rex. Don't fret for the birdy, though. Suddenly we're with it, flying down the T-Rex's throat. An increasingly bony throat. The bird flies out of the back of the skeleton and into a half-past half-present world. As it escapes into the night a pterodactyl statue views it keenly from its perch.
Though the book makes no reference to this, I did like the juxtaposition of a bird with dinosaurs. The theory that birds are descended from the dinos is more than convincing and it would have been nice if Rohmann had slipped in a clever allusion here or there. To be fair though, this book came out in 1994 and the theory was hardly as widespread then as it is now. Rohmann plays with light and shadow in this book, conjuring up horror films and dark noirs with his use of dark tones and flickers. I give him great kudos for the moment in which the bird gets snapped up. One minute it's there. The next a T¬-Rex is looking mighty pleased with itself as some feathers float gently to the forest floor. The thrill of shock kids will feel will be immediately alleviated by the safe n' sound feathered one booking it to the back of the monster's throat. Still, it's the moment that counts. And it's lovely.
The book bears some slight similarities to "Fledgling" by Robert J. Blake in that both books offer lush views of a small bird flying through unbelievable perils. A pairing of the two together would make for an excellent bird-centric private storytime. Of course the obvious pairing here is with anything made by David Wiesner. "Sector 7" or "Tuesday" (both wordless) perfected this kind of realistic surrealism in mute picture books. Rohmann does a nice enough job, but "Time Flies" lacks Wiesner's panache and oomph. It's just an awfully nice title with dinosaurs for the ancient-reptile-centric. All in all, I would not hesitate in the least to recommend this book to every kiddie that clamors for it. A great book and an enjoyable ride.
A LANDMARK DEBUT IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE.......2004-04-04
Eric Rohmann has made numrous contributions to the annals of children's literature since his estimable debut "Time Flies." I think often of and return to "The Cinder-Eyed Cat" for pure enjoyment.
However, "Time Flies" was the beginning - when our eyes were first arrested by the boldness of his vision as he took readers on an imaginary journey to prehistoric times.
As exciting today as it was when first published "Time flies" would be a most welcome gift for any child.
Imaginations will flow!.......2001-01-15
I often use this beautifully illustrated book in my classroom of 3-5 year olds. As the children view the pictures they begin talking about what they see happening without any facillitation from me. This is an excellent book to use in the classroom to promote language! Everytime we read it our plot changes a little bit! This book should be in every classroom library!
Images of dinosaurs-Time Flies.......2000-03-08
In this magical wordless picture book, Rohmann does a great job of setting the scene in a history museum. When a bird flies through the area with the dinosaur skeletons, The area suddenly comes to life. The walls become trees and beautiful landscapes. The bird is swallowed by one of the now living dinosaurs and as he escapes Rohmann takes us back to reality of the dinosaur skeletons and fossils. The pictures are amazing! I can see why he won the Caldecott award.
Customer Reviews:
Never Heard Dinosaurs Called Dragons..........2005-06-27
The first reports of "feathered" dinosaurs (aka dragons) came out of China in 1997. Here in the U. S., Dr. John Ostrom examined one he termed BABGIRAPTOR FEINBERGI in October, 1997, in Montana. At the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in April, 2000, he gave thirty-five talks about his find. Michael W. Skrepnick made the unusual illustration of this 'find' which looks like a giant baby duck. This is the cover for "Feathered Dragons."
Dr. Ostrom revealed finding a DEINONYCHUS in 1969, an unusual discover in paleontology which shows that dinosaurs were the logical ancestors of birds. Guess they at a lot to get so big.
It was thought that they were a primitive form of Asian bird. The early dinosaurs had avian traits and could fly. They laid eggs like birds do, but fish do, too. They could be a combination of the two but how'd they get so large.
The feathered COELUROSAURS were found in China and the SINOSAUROPTERYX were in Patagonia and Mongolia. The editors all all specialists in the field of dinosaurs. There were various contributors to this study of feathered "dragons."
"Life of the Past" was by James O. Farlow.
Book Description
The extinction of dinosaurs some sixty-five million years ago is one of the greatest biological catastrophes in the history of our planet. Yet in recent years, paleontologists have turned up increasing evidence that ancestors of one group of dinosaurs still fly among us: birds. Join Cathy Forster, one of the few female paleontologists working today, on an expedition to Madagascar in search of clues to the mystery of bird evolution.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous.......2003-08-27
This is a fabulous book for children doing research about the work of paleontology at Manhattan New School. We used the book in our first grade class to help answer the children's many questions. We actually replicated what Cathy and the other paleontologists did in Madagascar - we dug up bones (chicken, cow, pig), wrapped bones, and even pretended to return them to Madagascar when we finished our research. The team actually opened schools and clinics for the people of Madagascar - what an inspiration for our students.
Great Book.......2000-04-06
A great book for any young person who is interested in dinosaurs and their fossils.The book tells the story of paleontologist Cathy Forster and her colleagues as they undertake a fossil hunting expedition to the island of Madagascar off the coast of Africa.The "bird dinosaurs" they hope to find will help prove the relationship between modern day birds and dinosaurs.The book details all the steps involved in finding and recovering the fossils,but never gets too technical so young readers will have no trouble following the story.There is also some background info about Madagascar and its people.Many interesting photos illustrate the book.
Book Description
Are birds the descendants of dinosaurs? Many scientists believe dinosaurs are still alive among us—in the shape of our fine feathered friends! Now young dinosaur enthusiasts can read for themselves about this exciting theory in dinosaur science, including the importance of the newly discovered feathered dinosaurs. Created with the advice and approval of a noted paleontologist, this easy-to-read Step 4 title is fully illustrated and great for classroom use.
From the Hardcover Library Binding edition.
Customer Reviews:
A brave and fairly successful attempt.......2002-05-20
This is the first kids' book I've seen that makes an honest attempt to explain cladistics: that's a tall order in a book of only forty-eight pages, including front and back matter, especially when about half of the pages are taken up by pictures, and large print is used throughout.
You have to admire Dennis Shealy for making the attempt. In seven short chapters he skims over subjects like evolution, extinction, natural selection, Linnaean and cladistic classification and the dinosaurian ancestry of birds. Unfortunately, in covering so much material so cursorily, something has to give: and what gives is the definition of cladistics, which is described as grouping animals ``based just on traits they have in common'', without emphasising the importance of shared _derived_ characters. It's not exactly a fatal flaw in a book aimed at seven-year-olds, but it should have been easy enough to catch.
There are other minor oversights too: page 26 tells us that the bones of _Deinonychus_ and of modern birds share 22 common traits; then on page 30, that there are twenty-three shared traits.
Still, let's not be picky: this is fine attempt at teaching some complex stuff to kids, and it doesn't do a bad job. It's enhanced by Michael Skrepnick's characteristically fine illustrations: not just beautiful restorations, but helpful skeletal diagrams too, including a complete _Velociraptor_, a modern bird, and detail of their arms.
It's a good attempt at a very difficult book. The Jurassic Park institute is to commended for its ambition.
Books:
- The History of Management Thought
- The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia
- The Longest Season
- The Many Adventures of Pengey Penguin
- The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, Numbered Edition, Brown Alligator and Tan, Bonded Leather
- The Shorebird Guide
- The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America
- The Sibley Guide to Birds
- The Sibley Guide to Birds
- The Sparrow
Books Index
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Dawn of the Dinosaurs: Life in the Triassic (Life of the Past)
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After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals (Life of the Past)
Out of Thin Air: Dinosaurs, Birds, and Earth's Ancient Atmosphere
Patagonian Mesozoic Reptiles (Life of the Past)
