Kiddo (11) and I really enjoyed learning about the megafauna of past and present. Kiddo was surprised that dinosaurs aren't covered, although they cover reptiles, mammals, birds, fish, snakes, etc.

There was a lot of great information broken down into digestible chunks, and the illustrations were gorgeous. We also really appreciated the size comparison charts of the past and current megafauna of each type.

The one thing I struggled with was the scientific names were very tiny and the italic font used was difficult to read. I had a hard time distinguishing between "c" and "a" and "o" a lot of the time. There were also a few mistakes in the scientific names which didn't help.

*Thanks to Nosy Crow Inc. for providing an early copy for review.

I want to own a physical copy of this book! It is perfect for my now 6-year-old and will still grow with him. The drawings are beautiful and engaging with vibrant but soft colors that don't overwhelm the senses. The information is in little snippets that you can look at but not feel like you have to read all at once. The information is so interesting and my 6-year-old just wants to know more. For a kid's informational e-book its actually really well done and easy to read but I still think a book like this deserves to be loved in its full physical glory.

Kids will love this one! The artwork draws the reader in and the text is chock full of facts about animals that will intrigue the reader. It talks all about how scientist research these extinct creatures..

I would definitely use this book in my classroom for students to read. However, I would also use it during our animal unit for students to research an animal of their choosing. It would be hard for some of my lower reading students to read on their own so maybe an audio book version would be helpful. I thought the illustrations were done well too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Nosy Crow for allowing me to read this as an ARC. This will be added to our bookshelf when it comes out as my son loves animals. The descriptions and illustrations in this one were great!

MEGA is a stunning celebration of the biggest beasts to ever roam (or swim or fly!) our planet, and it’s an absolute thrill from start to finish. Jules Howard strikes a fantastic balance between fascinating facts and fun storytelling, blending prehistoric/extinct giants with today’s real-life animal megastars in a way that feels both educational and wildly entertaining.

But the real showstopper? Gavin Scott’s illustrations. Every creature is brought to life with jaw-dropping detail and vibrant color, making even the long-extinct feel present and powerful. The scale, texture, and personality in each image are just incredible—kids will be glued to every page... I know I was!

This is five stars without hesitation—a beautiful, brainy book that captures the wonder of nature, past and present. Thank you, NetGalley!

Although a really popular topic with a beautiful color palette and attractive illustrations, the amount of text is going to be a turn off for many readers. Kids in upper elementary may gravitate towards, but will have a limited audience.

Another essential book for our animal shelf, will 100% be purchasing the hardcover version as soon as it comes out! If you love gorgeous and engaging non-fiction picture books then definitely check this one out.

The information is presented in easily digestible chunks. There's roughly a paragraph of information for each section (every left page, or so) and then a few more bite-sized snippets along with each animal illustrated. This makes the book really easy to read to the kids or just peruse - we LOVE non-fiction picture books that allow us to read like a story OR dive a little deeper depending on our mood.

The illustrations are beautiful. Easy to identify all of the animals in the book but a watercolor vibe to everything which makes the pages just so relaxing to page through. My kids absolutely loved looking at all of the illustrations and identifying each animal (and asking me to read the facts about them).

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this gem! One of our favorites!

This is a solid book that covers a wide range of megafauna species and the roles they’ve played in shaping the planet. It’s literally packed with information, but is written in a way that’s surprisingly easy to follow. The organization makes a big difference in this and all the subsections and visual breaks between text makes it really clear where you are in the book and what you’re learning about (which helps a lot when there’s this much content).

One aspect I raelly enjoyed was the “Megafauna at Work” sections at the end of each animal group. They go beyond the basic facts and show the impact these species have on ecosystems, which adds depth and makes the material feel more connected to the present. It takes it from “here’s a cool animal,” to “here’s why it matters.”

The book also brings in topics like climate change, habitat loss, and poaching; major issues that continue to threaten the animals discussed. It also gives suggestions for what readers can do to help, which I really appreciated.

Visually, the book is stunning. The artwork is beautiful, and the charts and graphics actually support the text rather than just filling space. The glossary and index are also helpful tools to have in a book like this.

That said, I do have a few things minor concerns. First, the font size is really small. Like incredibly small. And the font used feels tight and muddled. It was difficult for me to read this even on my computer - I can’t imagine trying to read this in an e-reader or anything smaller. I’m not sure what the print version looks like, but if it isn’t also MEGA, it could be hard to read. Also, I really wish the book included a list of sources and/or suggestions for further reading. Even if it’s meant for a younger audience, that kind of reference section matters. Even if it’s not going to be printed, there should at least be a website or link provided. As far as I can tell, there’s nothing like that available for this book, which is disappointing.

As for the age range, the “8 and up” label actually feels pretty fair in this case. I’m usually cautious with that kind of open-ended age tag, but the way this book is written makes it work. It’s approachable and clear, but not oversimplified.

Overall, this is a beautiful and informative book. If you're interested in megafauna or just want to learn more about animals and how they fit into the larger environmental picture, this is definitely worth checking out.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nosy Crow Inc. for the advanced copy for review. Opinions are my own.

This is a perfect non-fiction book for the fact crunchers who love nonfiction books about animals. Beginning with the dinosaurs, this informational text explains how mega sizes helped these species, and how they eventually died out, making room for mammals. Alternating between a description of the prehistoric ancestor and the modern day mammal, we learn about manatees, bears, big cats, ungulates, apes, elephants, giraffes and more.

There are so many more prehistoric mammals than just mammoths and sabertoothed tigers, and I loved learning how species have evolved, and why they have developed these adaptations. I don't think it works as well as an ebook because there are paragraphs positioned around the images and I had to scroll or zoom to read them all. I am curious what this would look like as a physical book, as that would assist in my review.

As far as content goes, I highly recommend this for schools and libraries, and think it would work well for 2nd grade and older.

This is such a cool book! Fantastic facts that the curious animal or history lover will eat right up! The illustrations are incredibly lifelike and the comparison photos of the different species provides a really nice touch! I would love to get this one for my 9 year old!

MEGA is broken up into sections mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and mollusks, however each category is paired with their own special adjectives to demonstrate just how HUGE the animals are!!! (RAMPAGING reptiles!!!). MEGA has such a special and sophisticated illustrative style, really allowing readers to feel like they are being pulled into the environments of whatever creature the page is focusing on. The ocean scenes have rays of light cutting through the water and schools of fish behind the main animals of focus, further highlighting how MASSIVE they are in their space, and adding scale. This book has the ability to please any age reader, from an adult enjoying the finer points of the illustrations, to a middle grade reader learning so many facts for the first time, to a younger reader getting lost in the colors and being able to begin identifying the animals by sight. This read really has something to offer everyone. It’s highly informative while remaining visually stunning.