Lerwill, Ben. Stone Age Beasts. Grahame Baker-Smith, Illus. Candlewick, 11/2023. 48pp. Nonfiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-5362-3134-2. GRADES 3–5. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Satisfyingly fierce and intimidating animal portraits stare down from prehistoric times, providing facts and also inspiring curiosity with unanswered questions. An introduction to the Stone Age and humans’ role within it is followed by full-bleed, mixed-media spreads of eighteen menacing carnivores and herbivores such as saber-toothed cats, woolly mammoths, dire wolves and Siberian unicorns, as well as astonishingly large hawks, sloths, lemurs, and wombats. Each spread provides engaging insets sharing scientific names, territorial ranges, extinction timelines, and human silhouettes for scale comparison. Afterword includes a brief conclusion and glossary. Sure to inspire future paleontologists with dramatic images, memorable facts, and ponderings.
Alexandre Petrakis—San Francisco Public Library