A long time ago there was dinosaurs. Big dinosaurs and small dinosaurs. Dinosaurs with horns on their heads or spikes down their backs. Dinosaurs with long, long necks and long, long tails.Imaginatively and with a masterful use of color, shape and composition, Byron Barton brings to life unique and endearing vision of what the world may have looked like once upon a time.
本書非常適合作為孩子認識史前猛獸--恐龍的第一本書。作者使用了孩童純真的口吻及可愛的語調，將整本書的英文焦點著墨在恐龍的外形特征(body parts)和身體大小(size)上，巧妙地回避了認識生物種類構造所須的艱澀專業用語。暖色調的背景安排、粗筆刻畫的靈活造型及蠟筆肆意的大塊涂色與有趣的畫面組合方式，仿佛讓人跌入時光機中可愛的恐龍世界里。在孩子們的童年記憶中，恐龍不再是那么可怕，不再具威脅性，讓人覺得好容易親近。

Barton's economical book does not scrimp on details or ebullient hues. In colors straight out of a crayon box he provides children with a genuine "first" dinosaur book. The endpapers provide a vivid glossary of dinosaurs, with names and phonetic pronunciations underneath each picture. And then the sweet text: "A long time ago there were dinosaurs. There were dinosaurs with horns and dinosaurs with spikes . . . . There were fierce dinosaurs and scared dinosaurs." That particular line is illustrated with a black cloudy sky and jagged yellow lightning; the simple expressions of fear on the dinosaurs' faces will reassure readers that even these mightiest of creatures could have been afraid of the same things children are.

不同的恐龍，讓孩子認識長短、大小，畫面有剪紙風格。孩子現在看到恐龍都會說long neck。