Ben Lerwill is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in national and international publications including the Guardian, The Sunday Times and BBC Countryfile. He's written children's books for Nosy Crow, Puffin, Quarto and more. This is his first book with Walker. He lives in Oxfordshire. Grahame Baker-Smith always knew he wanted to be an illustrator. He studied at Berkshire College of Art and Design and has been drawing for over twenty years for both children and adults in books and magazines. In 2011 he won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for the outstanding illustrations in Farther. His previous book for Walker was Life: The First Four Billion Years. He lives in Bath with his wife and three children.
After introducing the Stone Age, this big, colorful volume presents some of the now-extinct animals that roamed the world back then. . . . The mixed-media illustrations make good use of lighting effects and dramatic posing of the beasts. A riveting animal book for armchair time travelers. * Booklist (starred review) * Baker-Smith goes for the gusto with spread-filling portraits of glowering creatures looming majestically. . . Make way for some memorable megafauna. * Kirkus Reviews * 'It’s almost three million years ago,' writes Lerwill (Let’s Play Soccer!) in an opening worthy of a nature documentary. . . . Infotainment-leaning visualizations ('Imagine a cuddly toy as big as your bedroom,' Lerwill writes of the giant wombat) will only help readers to savor the thrill- and chill-inducing facts on offer. * Publishers Weekly * For intrepid young readers who like their ancient creatures hairier and scarier, Ben Lerwill’s fact-packed book about Stone Age animals offers a stunning collection of thrillers. Grahame Baker-Smith’s hyper-detailed illustrations are glistening with ropy saliva, sharp teeth, and razor-sharp talons — and even the more approachable creatures on display (the giant ground sloth, giant lemur and tank-like glyptodon) look a bit surly and standoffish. * The Virginian Pilot * What child isn’t intrigued by the idea of woolly mammoths and saber-toothed cats? Those prehistoric creatures are just the start in this encyclopedia of fantastic beasts like elephant birds and giant wombats. It’s a short book overall, but it’s packed with fascinating facts and gorgeous illustrations. * We Are Teachers *