The Wild Life of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals: The Amazing Lives of Earth's Earliest Animals

Take a colorful tour through the prehistoric animal kingdom with this hilarious collection of non-fiction comics from award-winning author Mike Barfield and illustrator Paula Bossio.From the earliest life forms living under the ocean to the most fearsome dinosaurs and early mammals like the woolly mammoth, this book tells the story of what life was really like on early Earth. Discover what these animals looked like, where they lived, and how they survived (or didn't) in the most extreme conditions.Split into chapters covering the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras, the book covers animals from all over the world, with each one telling its own life story. Also featured are "Dead Cool" pages showing some of the stranger animals of each period and "Living Legends" pages looking at the true survivors who are still around today.This is a funny, accessible guide to the astonishing animals who once roamed in a world that looked very different from the world of today.

Author: Mike Barfield
Publisher: Buster Books Us
Published: 06/02/2026
Pages: 96
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.40lbs
Size: 11.10h x 8.50w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781837251070
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 05/02/2026 pg. 1
Booklist 06/01/2026

About the Author
Mike Barfield has been wild about animals from an early age. His love of nature took him to King's College London where he gained a first class honors degree in botany and zoology. After a career in comedy writing for TV and radio, he turned to creating award-winning nonfiction for children built on his love of science and discovering things. He is the winner of the Blue Peter Children's Book Award 2021 in the "Best Book with Facts" category, the Royal Society Young People's Book Prize 2025, the Association for Science Education Children's Book Prize (twice) and the De Bary Award for Outstanding Children's Science Books (twice).

Paula Bossio is a Colombian artist and illustrator. Her work has received many awards in Japan, Korea, India, Italy, Mexico, and Colombia. Paula loves to create whimsical and profound stories told through charming characters, vibrant colors, and mixed media techniques. She is the illustrator of Where in the World?, Search Through Time, and The World at Night.