From water "woodlice" as big as a platter to Diplocaulus with boomerang-shaped heads, from the colossal titanosaur to Neanderthal "cave people," the world of prehistoric animals is mind-boggling. Budding young paleontologists will find everything they need to know to begin their studies with Dorling Kindersley's impressive Dinosaur Encyclopedia and Dinosaur Hunter CD-ROM. Divided into four sections--Fish and Invertebrates, Amphibians and Reptiles, Dinosaurs and Birds, and Mammals and Their Ancestors--the thick volume describes just what kinds of critters have walked, swum, slithered, and flown the earth. Breathtaking photographs, realistic models, and full-page reconstructions of prehistoric environments allow the reader to enter the mysterious landscapes of these ancient behemoths, while comprehensive and easy-to-use text explores how animals evolved, how scientists find and use fossils, and when, where, and how various creatures lived and died. A timeline bar enables readers to determine the geological era in which a given animal lived, fact boxes provide a quick profile of the main creature featured in each animal entry, and a large reference section provides a fossil timeline, paleontological processes, biographies of leading scientists, and tips for the amateur fossil hunter. Wow! All this, and fun to read, too! (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter