DINOSAURS

A sturdy, spiral-bound ``First Discovery'' book (first published in France) that makes ingenious use of an intriguing gimmick—transparent plastic pages that flip to transform images and add text on opaque spreads: a giant brachiosaurus, seen from the front and compared to a turkey-sized contemporary cousin becomes the same giant from the rear, contrasted with a herd of elephants; a painting of a pterodactyl lifts to reveal its fossilized remains; a huge foot conceals its fossilized track, large enough for a wading pool where a toddler can ``go for a dip''; or scattered bones are assembled with the turn of another page. There's not a vast amount of information here, but a number of useful concepts are introduced, while the format is sure to grab attention. Also new in the same innovative format: Castles (ISBN: 0-590-46377-2). (Nonfiction/Picture book. 3-9)