Dino-loving kids will learn what a dinosaur is by discovering what it’s not, in this fun and innovative introduction to some other prehistoric creatures.

Everyone knows what a dinosaur is, right? Well, maybe not. Roaming the earth alongside dinosaurs, there were other less well-known animal species — but they were not dinosaurs. So, what is it that sets the dinosaurs apart? Here, readers are introduced to ten prehistoric animals that look like dinosaurs, but they’re missing at least one key characteristic that all true dinosaurs have. One by one, each of those “missing” characteristics is added to a growing list, so that, by the end of the book, readers will know what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur!

Bestselling and award-winning author Helaine Becker uses an innovative approach to expand the world of dinosaurs for young readers. Each funny, fact-packed spread presents one prehistoric creature, with a large illustration and information about its habitat, behavior and characteristics, including which characteristic makes it not a dinosaur. Cumulative checklists of these characteristics help readers build a definition of what a dinosaur is, making complex paleontology concepts accessible. An example of a true dinosaur at the end ties it all together. All content has been well-researched and thoroughly vetted by museum and university paleontologists. Marie-Ève Tremblay’s quirky, colorful illustrations include several clarifying side diagrams to support understanding. The backmatter contains more about true dinosaurs as well as a glossary, index and sources for further reading. With many curriculum links in life science, this book is particularly useful for lessons on the classification of living things.