Meet the Colossal Animals of the Ice Age
Written and Illustrated by Jack Tite
Published by Big Picture Press ISBN 978-1783708314
Reviewed by Derek Brazell
We’re clearly not in an Ice Age at the moment – but things change… Around 3 million years ago there was a major ice age across parts of the Earth, but it didn’t stop certain creatures flourishing (in a very big way). Jack Tite’s book offers loads of information on this time of frozen oceans and ice-sheeted land, and of the supersized animals that adapted to live over this period.
With each page heavily illustrated, Tite covers a range of animals in detail, with attractive colour palettes across each spread. And they need the space! The Teraton bird had a wingspan of 8 metres (which needs a fold-out to show it), the giant beavers had 15cm incisors and armadillos could be up to 2 tonnes with clubbed, spiked tails. You wouldn’t mess around with these guys.
Each continent has its own section in the book, covering the animals that lived there, and Tite shows their habitat and unique features, using fold-outs and flaps to create large images that reflect the size of the creatures (the Australian giant ripper lizard was up to 7 metres long!).
AOI Member Tite has created a book packed with interesting info, illustrated with colourful maps and detailed images of the creatures, and handsomely designed on the page. A great way to learn about these huge, long gone animals living in an icy age.
Mega Meltdown was Shortlisted for the AOI World Illustration Awards 2019 ‘Children’s Book Category‘
