In the Past

Return to the prehistoric era and discover a host of creatures both novel and familiar, from the mysterious trilobite to the famed T. rex.

Care to meet a dunkleosteus? An apatosaurus? How about the dragonflyesque meganaura? In a collection that’s organized chronologically by epoch and is sure to intrigue everyone from armchair dino enthusiasts to budding paleontologists, David Elliott and Matthew Trueman illuminate some of the most fascinating creatures ever to evolve on the earth.

Combining poems both enlightening and artful with illustrations perfect for poring over, this volume ensures fascinating trips back to a time as enthralling and variable as any in our planet’s evolutionary history.

• A companion volume to On the Farm, In the Wild, In the Sea, and On the Wing which features the most salable of subjects: prehistoric creatures!
• Back matter features a bit more about every creature and running along the bottom of every spread is a timeline that moves you forward through historical eras to the dawn of man.
• David Elliott’s engaging short verse and Matthew Trueman’s intricately detailed art are a perfect pair. The poems are both entertaining and educational and the art features bits of real flora!

About the Author

David Elliott is the award-winning author of many books for children, including the New York Times best-selling And Here’s to You! as well as On the Farm, In the Wild, In the Sea, and On the Wing. He is also the author of Baabwaa and Wooliam, illustrated by Melissa Sweet; Nobody’s Perfect, illustrated by Sam Zuppardi; and The Two Tims, illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo. David Elliott lives in Warner, New Hampshire. 

About the Illustrator

Matthew Trueman is the illustrator of several books for children, including Hippos Are Huge! by Jonathan London and One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin by Kathryn Lasky. He lives in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.