Megatooth FROM THE PUBLISHER
Ten million years ago, giant beasts walked the earth. But the biggest one of all did not walk--it swam. It was large enough to eat whales. It was more enormous than the biggest dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus rex. It was Megalodon--or Megatooth--the giant shark, and it ruled the seas. Great White sharks may be huge, but their ancient ancestors were even bigger and more powerful. Scientists aren't sure how big Megalodons really were, since the only things they left behind were enormous teeth. But teeth can tell us a lot. Filled with fascinating facts and gorgeous, highly detailed illustrations, this book will thrill dinosaur and shark fans alike.
FROM THE CRITICS
Book Magazine
Huge shark jaws in lurid colors dominate the dust jacket of this nonfiction book for young readers. The book launches straight into descriptions of creatures that lived millions of years ago, leading up to the megalodon, a fifty-foot-long ancient shark. Large illustrations that emphasize the animals' frightening qualities compare the megalodon to other creatures in length and show its giant teeth in actual size. The text explains how scientists know about the shark and provides factual information, including what they ate. Children fascinated by dinosaurs and other scary animals will love this book. —Kathleen Odean (Excerpted Review)
Children's Literature
Author/illustrator Patrick O'Brien gives young readers a thrilling sea monster in Megatooth. Larger than Tyrannosaurus rex, this prehistoric shark once cruised the oceans and feasted on whales. One of the illustrations shows the actual size of its tooth—about the length of a hand! 2001, Henry Holt, $16.95. Ages 4 to 10. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum
Parent Council Reviews
Ten million years ago was the age of giants with ten foot tall birds, eight foot long horned turtles, giant herd beasts, and catlike hunters with giant saber teeth. In the ocean Megalodon ruled, some fifty feet in length (compared to today's Great White Shark at eighteen feet). Excellent illustrations, a timeline, and information about the really big fossilized Megalodon teeth found all over the world. 2001, Henry Holt and Company, $16.95. Ages 5 to 10. Reviewer: M. Henebry SOURCE: Parent Council, September 2001 (Vol. 9, No. 1)
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3-Megatooth, or Megalodon, was an ancient shark three times as large as today's great white shark. O'Brien supplies children with several interesting facts that scientists have surmised about this fascinating creature from the huge teeth that have been found along seashores (as an afterword explains in more detail). The brief text is accompanied by oversized watercolor-and-gouache illustrations. This first look at a prehistoric animal is sure to be a hit with young dinosaur fans, who will appreciate the arresting cover illustration depicting a wide-open toothy jaw crunching on crumbling title letters.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
What's bigger than Elasmosaurus, has more teeth than Smilodon, and is fiercer than T-rex? It must be Megalodon, the giant ancestor of the great white shark that roamed the ancient seas 50 million years ago eating whales. O'Brien, author of Gigantic: How Big Were the Dinosaurs? (1999) is back with another toothy monster to delight young dinosaur fans. Beginning simply and dramatically, showing one giant creature after another, O'Brien builds to his subject, which comes crashing out of the water and onto a two-paged spread featuring his bloody mouth. Then continuing in this engaging style, he gives Megalodon plenty of room to show off as he looms and threatens and shows plenty of his enormous teeth. In fact, the author notes that the only evidence of Megalodon scientists have discovered to date is a few vertebrae and some large fossilized teeth. Using the size of the teeth of the great white shark as a comparison, some scientists predict the ancient shark was 50 feet long. O'Brien's double-paged spreads give ample room to compare this monster to more familiar large beasts: a great white shark or Tyrannosaurus rex. In one telling shot, the jaw of the Megalodon surrounds the standing figure of a man, dressed in a snorkel and pink inner tube. It is this simple approach, laden with enormous kid appeal that will make this sail off the shelves. The author may inspire a whole new generation of treasure hunters as he notes in an afterword that giant fossil teeth have been found all over the world, but "the best place to find them is the eastern United States." For younger readers than Caroline Arnold's Giant Shark: Megalodon, Prehistoric Super Predator (2000). (timeline, tooth facts)(Picture book/nonfiction. 5-8)
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