What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs?

by John D. Morris, Ken Ham

The book that rewrites the fiction of secular dinosaur lore. Beautifully illustrated, highly imaginative. Takes young, inquisitive readers on a pre-flood journey through God's creation. Travel side by side with Tracker John and his pet dinosaur DJ! Children will love the heartwarming story and fun-filled adventure. Adults will appreciate the scientific teaching of a biblical alternative.

Genres: Science, Dinosaurs, Picture Books, Childrens, School, Nonfiction, History

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1990

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

John D. Morris was an American young earth creationist and the son of the "father of creation science", Henry M. Morris. He received a Doctorate in Geological Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1980 and briefly served on the university's faculty. In 1984, he joined the Institute for Creation Research (ICR); after his father's death in 1990, John Morris became the president of ICR.

Reviews

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to a creation science/ intelligent design/ Biblical perspective on dinosaurs in a fun, illustrated format. Covers key concepts such as:

* Creation of Dinosaurs
* Eden
* The reality that dinosaurs are a puzzle, and sometimes scientists make mistakes trying to put it together.
* The reality that there is a lot about dinosaurs that we don't know.
* Range of sizes (with reference to the Behemoth of Job 40).
* Consequences of sin
* Gospel presentation
* Impact of environmental and social deterioration on the dinosaurs re: Gen 6
* The Flood
* Ark capacity
* The tremendous loss of life at the flood (man, animals, plants)
NOTE: This page may be too much for more sensitive children to handle and could be skipped until they are ready to process it.
* Fossils
* Environmental changes post-flood
* Timing of the Ice Age
* Extinction, with a challenge to families to research other extinct animals at the library
* Dinosaurs in myths and Legends "Perhaps stories like 'St. George and the Dragon' are really true stories of someone killing a monster like a dinosaur." pg 29

I have been concerned about the strident, condescending tone of many resources in the Creation/ Intelligent Design/ Biblical science camp as well as the inordinate attention to weeding out evolutionist thinking.

However, this book was a welcome surprise. It captures the highlights of the perspective and presents the information humbly. It doesn't attempt to answer ALL the questions, but to give a logical Biblical foundation upon which students (and scientists) can build further inquiry. Some of the writing is a tad clunky, and the art work is merely okay, but content-wise this is a solid (and unique) resource. This one is a keeper for our homeschool library.

[Erictadsen · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Rewrites the fiction" of secular dinosaur lore? This "fiction" is extremely patient, diligent and open-minded research done be highly respectable people who are devoted to science. There is no scientific basis for thinking that it is somehow a fiction. A book like this does a disservice to everyone in spreading superstition and in using pseudo science to undermine genuine research. Garbage.

[Rebecca Cecil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a little playful dinosaur friend of Tracker John who explores the world before Noah and the Ark story in the Bible. This is the Christian version of What Happened to the dinosaurs. It tells how Noah was told to put 2 of every animal, creatures on the Ark how God never told Noah not to put the Dinosaurs on so they must have been there, Of course, the Bible says God created all plants and animals on the 6th day of creation therefore IF you believe in the Bible then you know the dinosaurs were made then too by God. It goes on to tell of men's sins and how the flood came about and what happened to the Dinosaurs handled life after they got off the ark, how the world had changed.
I found it to be a very interesting book and a good way to tell children about dinosaurs when they were here on earth - how God made them the same day he made all animals on the 6th day. And then the story brings them right up to what could have happened to the dinosaurs.

[Donna Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great look into what most likely Really happened to the dinosaurs. None of that million of years garbage, instead it talks of how God made them just the same as He made all of creation, and how the flood and how the world was after the flood helped contribute to the demise of the giant lizards.

[Ondrej · Rating 1 out of 5]

"scientific teaching of a biblical alternative" - really? This is really horrible, I don't understand how can anybody who's claiming to be a good Christian spout such lies, especially in a book for children. For every child cheated by this book an angel loses its wings... :(

[Ellie Burnett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Someone gave this book to me for my classroom a few years ago. I was like cool, kids love dinosaurs. I glanced through it to see the most inaccurate, steaming pile of garbage lies that has ever been published. In a boo full of "facts" there are no citations besides the Bible, and half of the "information" is first person speculation. Besides the entire story making no sense there are further more inaccuracies inside the inaccuracies including:
- citing the ice age as a true occurrence but at the same time denying the earth is older than 5,000 years old.
- stating humans lived at the same time that dinosaurs did. They then showed a medieval night fighting a dinosaur. I too enjoy the countless written and artistic accounts of dinosaurs in medieval times.
- saying Noah did save a pair of dinosaurs, yet they show many breeds after the flood
- acknowledging that creationist scientists are "special" scientists. I would like to see their credentials.
- constantly putting guilt on the reader because DJ is sad. How does DJ even exist in modern times? He wasn't on the ark.

Anyways I would advise everyone to read this book, it's a pretty entertaining fiction story.

[EB's · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mentions the Institute of Creation Research, and will have more of a biblical perspective on what happened to the dinosaurs. It is more cartoons than other dinosaur books the kids and I have read, and goes from the beginning to the Bible to animals on the ark to the flood, and the possibility of weather change after the flood for the causes of death of dinosaurs. It does mention how sin came into the world and theorizes what could have happened due to that to dinosaurs and other creatures. I would not expect someone who believes in evolution to read this, though I know many Christians who have. My son seemed to like the illustrations where he was paying attention a bit more. It was okay.

[Samyy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could give it zero stars. Historically inaccurate and misleading. These authors should be ashamed of themselves.

The fossil record has proven that dinosaurs and humans did not coexist, and there was certainly never a world-wide flood.

Let’s stop lying to children and giving them false hope in fairy tales.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

False information

[Laurelyn Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Garbage, I found this at Goodwill and almost bought it for my nephew, but luckily, I read it first. It's Christian propaganda. Skip it.

[Winnie Thornton · Rating 3 out of 5]

While my dad read this aloud, I imagined a T-Rex crashing through my bedroom window. I was so disappointed every time it didn't.

[Kristin]

We've been interested in Hamm's series about the dinosaurs and got this book from our church library. A good way of describing what happened to the kids

[Genny · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've always liked this book.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does a great job of clearly explaining the truth about dinosaurs from a creationist perspective for children.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what I would think about this one... turns out it was intelligently done.