Book Review; When Fish Got Feet

When Fish Got Feet, Sharks Got Teeth, and Bugs Began to Swarm: A Cartoon Prehistory of Life Long Before Dinosaurs 
Paperback –  2009

by Hannah Bonner

Amazon data:

• Age Range: 10 and up 

• Grade Level: 5 and up

• Paperback: 48 pages

• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books; Reprint edition (September 8, 2009)

This book offers a unique and delightful look at the Silurian and Devonian periods, suitable for school children but including some funny bits and cool facts that will help adults learn or recall the main events of this pivotal time in our planet's history.  It also is the only book I've seen for kids that provides some information on my favorite predator, Dunkleosteus, incidentally playing it conservative and assigning a length of 6m where some books say 8 and a few old ones say 10.  There are short, clear explanations of everything from the creation of soil to the adaptations needed for plants and animals to invade the dry land environment.  Recommended to my by no less than Matt Mossbrucker and Dr. Robert Bakker, this is just a terrific book: order one for your kid's library and another for yourself.