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Beyond Barney.

Article Excerpt
Step into the science section of any library or bookstore (you know--the section way in the back) and you are guaranteed to find plenty of dinosaur books. Few science books written for children get star treatment of the kind reserved for these creatures. You'll likely find grisly stories of death and destruction, heartwarming tales of cuddly young dinosaurs, and a host of encyclopedias listing the Latin names for multitudes of dinosaur species. Dig deeper and there might be fossil field guides, ride-alongs with modern-day paleontologists, and historical accounts of their predecessors. But of all the books published on this one topic, what makes a worthwhile read?

First of all, walk past the books up front in the picture book section--the ones that feature talking, thinking, feeling dinosaurs as models for children's development. As cringe-inducing (Barney) or likable (the appealing dinos in Jane Yolen and Mark Teague's popular How Do Dinosaurs ...? series) as they may be, these books feature dinosaurs as child stand-ins, not as objects of scientific inquiry. However, heading back to the nonfiction section does not guarantee informational accuracy, either. Some science-y dinosaur books use artistic license in their portrayals of dinosaurs by presenting them as peaceful and calm, or focusing only on behavioral traits that align with the ones we humans value. A good dinosaur book tells it like it is. Dinosaurs were not nice or...

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