Using a graphically familiar format and maps from other picture atlases, Kingfisher has produced a colorful introduction to dinosaurs around the world. A prefatory spread shows all the continents, then subsequent maps of Canada and Alaska, the continental United States, Central and South America, a slice of Western Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia/New Zealand include state and country labels and boundaries. All maps are overlaid with images of dinosaurs found in each area. Although different in size, images are not to scale and coloration is not explained. On double-page spreads following each map, some specific species are shown interacting with each other and their environments; boxes add examples of dinosaur behavior. Occasional photographs of actual fossils supplement Lewis’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations. The large font, Tyrannosaurus rex bookmark and detachable foldout world map (including swimming reptiles not described in the book) add to the appeal for young enthusiasts. The presentation of hypotheses as facts and somewhat random nature of the information make this most suitable for a very young audience. (glossary, index) (Informational picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-7534-6093-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Kingfisher
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2008
BOOK REVIEW
A laugh-out-loud, dino-themed farce.
Ever wonder why there are no dinosaurs?
Marvin and Vamos offer a possible answer with a humorous twist: Dinosaurs had hair. Imagine! If dinosaurs had hair, they must have had hair problems, too, like “parents who brushed it too hard,” “siblings who pulled it,” and “snarls. SO. MANY // SNARLS.” And if dinosaurs had hair, they probably flaunted their impressive styles by “flying with flair,” “galloping with gusto,” and “swimming with sass,” all of which led to gossip, jealousy, and hair drama like the “HAIR // WARFARE!” between Team Hair-o-dactyl and Team Pompadour-o-saurus, complete with Jurassic jeers and computer game–esque illustrations. Readers see a battle of hairstyles, “from pigtails to pixie cuts…// from pageboys to perms.” The winning style? “BIG BANGS!” As a T. rex shows off their hairdo, illustrations show asteroids raining down in the background; the final page shows a lone, feathered dino who has survived—consistent with the theory that dinosaurs evolved into birds. The book’s climax may also provide a teachable moment to distinguish the concept of the Big Bang from theories of extinction. The primary text moves the story forward briskly, but a second layer of sassy and punny speech bubbles also add humor for older readers and adults. Detailed, digitally created illustrations feature vibrant colors, hilarious hairstyles, and dinosaur facial features with lots of attitude and emotions, making this a book that will be read and reread often. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A laugh-out-loud, dino-themed farce. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-79256-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Affirmation that you can have dreams the size of a prehistoric flying reptile.
It is possible to be whatever you want.
When his teacher tells students they can be anything they want, Tommy announces his ambition: to be a pterodactyl. Unsurprisingly, classmates jeer. Tommy’s sure a pterodactyl’s diet of live fish would be an improvement over cafeteria fare; living in a cave in a cliff overlooking the sea where no one could visit him sounds ideal; and, as he explains to the bus driver, people would pay him, as a pterodactyl, not to pick them up and fly them places. Kids on the bus tease him mercilessly. When Tommy arrives home, his dad listens to him carefully and suggests that Tommy “live like a pterodactyl, even if on the outside you still look like Tommy.” Dad accepts and understands his son’s aspirations, and the two pretend to be pterodactyls all afternoon. The result: Because of his strongly held, actually logical beliefs and dad’s affirmation, Tommy does grow up to be a pterodactyl—sort of; kids will cheer the satisfying, makes-perfect-sense ending. This empowering story is all about having seemingly unattainable goals and being lucky enough to have supporters willing to help achieve them. Tommy’s a sweet, realistic, albeit dreamy, character; his dad, a model, caring parent. The colorful, somewhat stylized illustrations are lively and humorous. Tommy and his dad are light-skinned. Classmates and school personnel are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Affirmation that you can have dreams the size of a prehistoric flying reptile. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: July 25, 2023
ISBN: 9780593110652
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
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