Creatures Yesterday and Today
illustrated by Karen Patkau
In this lively companion to Creatures Great and Small, author and illustrator Karen Patkau transports the reader to prehistoric times, when many creatures existed that have since disappeared. From the worlds of insects, fish, mammals, sea jellies, reptiles, amphibians, birds, crustaceans, arachnids, and mollusks, she presents living animals and their prehistoric ancestors. Meet Diplodocus and Skylark; Cameroceras and Blue-Ringed Octopus; Brontoscorpio and Fat-Tailed Scorpio; and learn what links them across the ages. Scientists obtain clues from fossils about how these prehistoric creatures looked and lived, and Karen Patkau examines many of them in this fascinating look at extinct and present-day species.
Captivating text in the voices of the animals themselves is complemented by the vibrant illustrations, map endpapers, glossary, geological timeline, and chart of the history of life, making this fact-filled book a welcome addition to any home or school library, where a budding scientist can happily explore.
close this panelKaren Patkau is the award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children. The first book she illustrated was Don’t Eat Spiders by Robert Heidbreder, which won the Ezra Jack Keats Memorial Medal. Several of her other books have also won prizes including the Our Choice selections Sir Cassie to the Rescue, Python Play, Creatures Great and Small, and Ringtail along with Dimensional Illustrators Award-winners In the Sea and Seal is Lost. Karen Patkau resides in Toronto.
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Praise for Creatures Yesterday and Today:
“Vibrant colors (greens, blues, purples and vivid yellows and pinks) characterize these very simple, yet, at once, subtly detailed illustrations. Through her use of light and shadow, Patkau creates depth in her paintings, causing the eye to move across each one. A map of the world on the end papers indicates the location of each featured animal, while a geological time line shows when the various creatures lived on Earth. Included at the back of the book is a glossary.” Highly Recommended — Canadian Review of Materials
“ …the amazing science will engage dinosaur fans with the wonder of evolution and the evidence of fossils. A time chart and a world map showing the distribution of the prehistoric creatures and fossils wrap up the text, which will be wonderful for beginning classroom science discussions.”
–Booklist
“Patkau combines what is clearly a love for animals with her considerable talents as a dimensional artist in this companion to the celebrated Creatures Great and Small…. Maps, a timeline, a history chart and a glossary give an educational edge to a glorious picture book.”
—The Chronicle Herald
Praise for Creatures Great and Small:
“Creatures Great and Small is a book that uses every possible surface to inform and impress the reader.” — Quill & Quire
“This book bombards readers with something new on every page. Patkau’s illustrations are vibrant and have a distinct layering quality that makes them look three dimensional.”
— The Chronicle Herald, Halifax
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