OUR STORE IS CLOSED ON ANZAC DAY: THURSDAY 25 APRIL
Blake A. Hoena grew up in central Wisconsin, where he wrote stories about robots conquering the moon and trolls lumbering around the woods behind his parents house. He now lives in Minnesota and continues to write about fun things like space aliens and superheroes. Blake has written more than fifty chapter books and graphic novels for children. Alessandro Valdrighi was born by the sea in 1980 in beautiful Castiglione della Pescaia, Italy. He studied at the prestigious Accademia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts) in Florence and graduated with a Bachelor's degree as a set designer. Alessandro learned to draw at an early age by copying comics and illustrations from books. He believes this is the reason he is now successful using multiple art styles. Alessandro has worked as a cartoonist, illustrator, and concept artist in both traditional and digital media. In 2011 he won a prize for his work on Lagrimas en la lluvia, featured as the best comic book publication in Spain. Alessandro lives and works in Siena, Italy, with his wife and baby, and a crazy cat.
"In a ""Choose Your Own Adventure"" style, each title takes readers through different prehistoric periods using fictionalized scenarios and dialogue. The books have a standard format that includes a common introduction, a story from modern times, three different interactive worlds from the past, and a summary of the specific historical period. The characters interact with animals, plants, and occasionally humans in the often deadly adventures. Black-and-white illustrations portray the action well and complement the text. The back matter contains critical thinking questions, recommended reading in print and online, a bibliography, a glossary, and an index. One scenario in Could You Survive the Jurassic Period? stretches credulity, and the content in the other titles comes across as didactic at times. VERDICT While there are cross curricular applications with science and social studies, these titles aren't as strong as others in the series.--Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY ""School Library Journal"""
