Everything you know about dinosaurs is wrong by Dr. Nick Crumpton, illustrated by Gavin Scott

People have been fascinated by dinosaurs since they were first discovered and identified and they have been a popular interest for young children since roughly the 1960s (I base that on random Googling, feel free to suggest better sources). At the present time, there is a proliferation of books trying to keep up with the rapid changes in paleontology as well as, on the other end of the spectrum, imaginative fiction featuring dinosaurs. I found this to be an extremely accessible introduction to paleontology, written in such a way as to be relevant for many years.

The list of contents labels each spread, which features a different fact about dinosaurs. The introduction talks about how science changes and how we are constantly learning new things. The spreads are titled with well-known "facts" that have turned out to be wrong, or just not the whole story. These include things like Dinosaurs could roar, Dinosaurs only lived on land, Theropods only ate meat, and Dinosaurs are extinct. Each heading is accompanied by a stamped image of the word "WRONG!" and then explores the concept in more detail. How and why people thought this, new science that disproves it or adds to it, and possible future researches are all touched on lightly.

The art is light and colorful, with most of the backgrounds being white with speckled dots and a few darker spreads. Some of the text on the darker backgrounds is difficult to read, being in a fairly small font. Back matter includes a glossary, index, and brief biographies of the author and illustrator. Like many titles originally published in Europe, there are no sources or factual back matter included.

Verdict: This has a layout that looks like a picture book, but it's really directed at elementary-age children, and perhaps the occasional smaller child who is fascinated by dinosaurs and science and has the focus to sit through and discuss lengthier text. It's simply and clearly written and the focus on the changing methods and discoveries of paleontology will make it relevant for many years to come. Recommended.

ISBN: 9798887770147; Published October 2023 by Nosy Crow; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library