11 Dinosaur Reports

Dinosaur Reports written by Pam Holden illustrated by Jim Storey

James belongs to the Dinosaur Club, where dinosaur fans meet each month to learn facts about how dinosaurs lived long ago. At their meeting in August, they had a quiz about dinosaurs. One question asked which dinosaur they liked the most. Their answers showed that the favourite of each fan was a different dinosaur. James thought it would be useful for each person to make a report with information about their own favourite dinosaur.

Mary gave the first report at the September meeting. "I have chosen the tallest dinosaur for my report," she told the fans. "Its name is Brachiosaurus, which means 'arm lizard'. It was given this name because its front legs were longer than its back legs. It was so tall that it could have looked over the roof of a three-storey building! You won't be surprised to know that its food was leaves from tall trees."

John reported at the October meeting. "My favourite is Triceratops, which means 'three-horned face'. It was a strange-looking dinosaur that looked like a giant rhinoceros or a bull. It had a beak like a turtle for eating plants. There was a huge shield on the back of its neck with sharp, bony points. On its head, there were three strong horns— one on its nose, and one pointing forward over each eye. It must have looked frightening to its enemies."

At the November meeting, the fans heard Sam's report about a dinosaur with a club on its tail. "I want you to meet Ankylosaurus," said Sam, pointing to a drawing of a four-legged dinosaur. "It was named 'stiff reptile' because its body was covered with strong plates like armour. Look what it had on the end of its tail— a hard, bony knob like a club to swing at any hungry enemies!"

In December, Sue had a funny reason for choosing her favourite. "I saw the real bones of this huge dinosaur in a museum," she said. "It has been named Sue— just like me! Its real name is Tyrannosaurus Rex, which means 'king tyrant lizard'. A tyrant is a cruel ruler. This dinosaur used its long, sharp teeth and claws to hunt for meat. T Rex was the fiercest dinosaur of all. It was the king!"