DINOS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND!

A lineup of various girls and their favorite dinosaurs.

In bright double-page spreads, racially diverse girls and smiling, rainbow-hued dinosaurs play in a jungle as simple text explains why each girl likes her dino “best friend.” Some pairings reflect a girl’s appearance. Stella, sporting a spiky hairdo, a prosthetic leg, and a stegosaurus-shaped backpack, likesStegosaurus for its spikes; long-haired Brianna likes Brachiosaurusfor its “long, curved” neck. Others reflect hobbies. Stilt-walking Tyra likes tall Tyrannosaurus rex, with whom she picks coconuts. Crafty, wheelchair-using Theresa snips dino- and person-shaped garlands with Therizinosaurus, who boasts “scissor-like claws.” As each dinosaur is introduced, a highlighted pronunciation follows in parentheses; however, the thin black text is occasionally hard to read against darker colors. The final spread proclaims, “Dinos are a girl’s best friend!” and reveals the girls to be playing with toy dinosaurs in a park. On the following page, the girls share interesting facts about their dino friends in speech-balloon dialogue. Stegosaurus“had a brain that was about the size of a hot dog”; Triceratopshad “a beak like a parrot.” Though they occasionally feel somewhat forced, the alliterative pairings may aid in remembering the dinosaurs’ names, and Priya’s Pterodactylpal introduces silent letters. Depicting energetic girls whose interests include aviation, dancing, and football, Gray’s cartoon illustrations reinforce that girls can follow a wide variety of passions.

A cheery, diverse introduction to dinosaurs for young readers.