Title: The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of Their Lost World

Author: Steve Brusatte

Publisher: William Morrow 2018

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 404

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

Brusatte traces the evolution of dinosaurs from their inauspicious start as small shadow dwellers—themselves the beneficiaries of a mass extinction caused by volcanic eruptions at the beginning of the Triassic period—into the dominant array of species every wide-eyed child memorizes today, T. rex, Triceratops, Brontosaurus, and more. This gifted scientist and writer re-creates the dinosaurs’ peak during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, when thousands of species thrived, and winged and feathered dinosaurs, the prehistoric ancestors of modern birds, emerged. The story continues to the end of the Cretaceous period, when a giant asteroid or comet struck the planet and nearly every dinosaur species (but not all) died out, in the most extraordinary extinction event in earth’s history, one full of lessons for today as we confront a “sixth extinction.”

Dinosaurs are a hot topic in our house. I think Quentin can name more dinosaur species than most college students. So, of course I had to pick this one up. While the chapters are information dense, Brusatte creates an easy-to-read narrative to help digest all those facts. We start at the beginning and end after the fall with chapters on everything in between. The chapters really helped me create a mental timeline for the dinosaurs and the various species. I finally got a handle on the when and where for some of the most recognizable dinosaurs like the Triceratops or the Brachiosaurus. I found the chapters dealing with the Cretaceous time period the most interesting. I loved the speculation about the fall of the carchardontosaurs and the rise of the tyrannosaurs. A fascinating look at the ancient world. Quentin was upset that there weren’t more pictures, but I’ll allow it. He is 3 years old after all.

Next up on the TBR pile: