Tiny and giant horses, big sloths and other amazing animals star in this nonfiction book.
Prehistoric mammals are always amazing to me, and I think the reason why is because we never learned about them in school. The only prehistoric animals I remember ever studying—however briefly—were dinosaurs and saber-toothed tigers, and perhaps mammoths. Honestly, I think much of this “studying” was autodidactic from my own library or the Science Center and had nothing to do with school anyway, but it still never really included many mammals.
So when I learned about the giant tree sloth and the enormous rhinoceros who used to inhabit the earth, you can bet I was both stunned and riveted. If you want to check out a really cool guide to such creatures and dozens of others, check out National Geographic Prehistoric Mammals. This full-color guide presents an exciting peek into the world as it was once known—by humanoids and non-humanoid creatures!
You’ll find stunning renditions of what we assume creatures looked like according to their fossils and other clues, but you’ll also get to see actual bones and complete skeletons, as well as photos of these creatures’ descendants and relatives. This is particularly interesting to children as it provides a connection between this ancient world and their own.