Yes, dreams can come true—even if you are a dancing dinosaur.
Can a T. rex pirouette and jeté on a ballet stage?
His father wants him to be a dentist, and his mother wants him to be a lawyer, but Tyrone, a big blue theropod, has a different career dream. His brother diverts him to football, but Tyrone lacks any and all gridiron skills. Then Tyrone meets Brontorina, a tremendously strong sauropod who studies ballet. She takes him to an outdoor dance studio, where he is welcomed, to join the other dinos, children, and cows. Under careful tutelage, and displaying a great talent, Tyrone has a star turn in a solo performance at the school recital. He exits the stage and the book performing a beautiful grand jeté with a perfectly elegant line. Howe presents his danseur noble as a gentle giant who persists and thus can fulfill his balletic vision. Cecil’s dappled art provides a humorous contrast between the hefty dinosaurs and the stick-figure humans. His choice of colors for the dinos—textured blue for Tyrone and a bright orange for Brontorina—helps them fill the pages to overflowing. Tyrone’s softly edged outline, so dramatically unlike his prehistoric ancestors’, gives him definite cuddly appeal. Brontorina first appeared in her own eponymous tale (2010), in which she made it quite clear that dinosaurs need outdoor studios.
Yes, dreams can come true—even if you are a dancing dinosaur. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 30, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1087-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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