Living Fossils: Clues to the Past

Dinosaur buffs are a natural audience for this informative overview of six living species that closely resemble their distant ancestors. Plant’s (the Ancient Animals series) naturalistic acrylic paintings shift between “then” and “now” as Arnold (Too Hot? Too Cold?) compares the lives of modern-day animals and their prehistoric forebears. Bulleted sidebars present reasons why certain animals have persisted; horseshoe crabs, which have existed for hundreds of millions of years, have hard shells that protect them from predators, can adapt to ocean temperatures and saline levels, and require little food. As readers explore the characteristics that have led to these animals’ resilience, it may raise questions about how other creatures—including, perhaps, humans—will survive the test of time. Ages 7–10. (Feb.)