How Big Were the Dinosaurs? by Bernard Most
Voyager Books, ISBN: 0152008527
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As the title suggests, Bernard Most tackles the question that most, if not all, students wonder when they begin to study the world of dinosaurs: How big were the dinosaurs? Most answers this question, dinosaur by dinosaur, by comparing each of twenty different kinds of dinosaurs to things from our modern world with which students are more readily familiar. For example, the teeth of the Tyrannosaurus Rex are compared to the length of the average toothbrush; a Triceratops’s head is shown to be bigger than the front door of a house; and the plates on the back of a Stegosaurus are larger than a school-crossing sign! Most’s creative ways of comparing the relative size of each dinosaur to common items from our world will have your students laughing and thinking about just exactly how big the dinosaurs were. Who can resist smiling at the thought of the Supersaurus in the supermarket or the sight of Diplodocus playing basketball?
Most is known for his books on animals, and his books on dinosaurs are particularly popular. His humor will keep your students engaged in the text in a way that both educates and entertains; his vibrantly colorful illustrations are filled with happy students and expressive dinosaurs. The book includes a foldout of the Seismosaurus, and the back cover has more illustrations by Most, and provides the actual length of each featured dinosaur in meters and feet.
In the Classroom
How Big Were the Dinosaurs? can be used as a mentor text in your classroom when studying nonfiction. You can explore the list structure or question-and-answer format that Most uses to organize his piece, encouraging students to try something similar. Or use the book to discuss features nonfiction, such as facts, phonetic pronunciations, and “extra information” such as the actual length of these ancient reptiles. You may also want to study authorial voice using Most’s book, as he is a writer who successfully incorporates his unique voice, one that is humorous and fun, into his primarily informative work.
As an added activity, you may wish to explore Most’s web site: www.bernardmost.com. This comprehensive site has a list of his many awards, links to his books, a question-and-answer page composed by Most’s oldest son, coloring pages, and a link called “The Most Fun”—jokes and riddles based on Most’s books. Your students will enjoy getting to know more about Most as a writer and how he gets his writing ideas. A fun, rewarding read, this book is a great choice for any elementary-aged student!
Look for How Big Were the Dinosaurs? in our Writing Fundamentals nonfiction genre study for grades 2–3.
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