Stegosaurus . . . Brontosaurus . . . Triceratops . . . Tyrannosaurus . . . Ornithomimus . . . Brachiosaurus. Each of these dinosaurs pops up off the page to delight the young reader. Depicted in what scientists believe to be their natural habitats, each entry includes a name pronunciation guide, the meaning of the name, and some information about the life and habits of each dinosaur. The final entry is a museum display that includes a skeleton and speaks to the general classification of Dinosaur. Full-color illustrations, pop-ups, and pull tabs keep the young reader thoroughly involved and support the narrative.

Highly recommended, especially for dinosaur-lovers. ( )

As you open the cover, the head and neck of a Tyrannosaurus pops up to greet you with bared teeth. On page 2, a pair of stegosaurs pop out at the reader, flaunting their abdominal plates. And so it continues -- each page with a surprising and entertaining pop up or simple animation: brontosaurs chewing aquatic plants (you pull the lever to watch them chew); an impressive Triceratops jutting from the page, a tyrannosaur chasing two ornithomimus (pull the levers to watch them run); a chewing ankylosaur; and a flying pterosaur (turn the dial to watch it circle). The accompanying text describes aspects of the biology of the illustrated animals.

However, reflecting the book's age, many misconceptions are included: that sauropods were too heavy to locomote on land; that the front legs of tyrannosaurs were too short to be useful (whatever they were used for, they actually were quite strong); and that ornithomimus ate eggs (we now know that it incubated its eggs -- accounting for the association of eggs with adults). We're told that ankylosaurs must have spent all day trying to get enough to eat, given their small teeth and large stomachs; and that similarly, stegosaurs "must have been hungry all the time." Ah well, copies of this book still have their uses if they stimulate younger readers to learn more about great beasts of the Mesozoic. And the last page features a pop- up museum display of a mounted Tyrannosaurus skeleton of the kind every kid should have a chance to see in real life. ( )