Loaded with appeal for confirmed young fans, this import surrounds thick-lined, grainy, colored cartoon portraits of 14 dinosaurs with an awed audience of modern dino-descendants—which is to say, chickens. Separated by artful placement on each spread, the commentary (which is delivered by an excited hen) comes on three levels: a short headline (“DINOSAURS LAID EGGS, JUST LIKE CHICKENS!”); a basic introduction to each dino’s individual features and habits; and a block of additional detail or background information. The picture gallery closes with a charted family tree, and the ongoing tide of snarky side comments from the peanut gallery (“If this one looks anything like me, I’m going to get a new face!”) culminates in a hatchling’s proud proclamation, “From now on my name is Chickesaurus Rex!” From now on human visitors to the henhouse had better watch their step. (Informational picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7358-2284-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2010
Another slyly disquieting outing from the creators of Who’s in the Bathroom? (2007). (Picture book. 6-8)
Willis and Reynolds deliver a sharp tweak to the credulous, as just the rumor of a monster sighting prompts a mass migration of rubberneckers.
“One foggy, groggy morning / by the salty, splashy sea,” reports a moon-faced lad, “I’m sure I saw a dinosaur / and I’m sure that he saw me.” Word gets around fast, and in no time not just local residents but soldiers, sailors, scientists, divers and more have set up camps on the beach. They all bear expressions of open-mouthed wonder, and they search industriously for the elusive creature. Sharp-eyed viewers can join the search, as nearly every one of Reynolds’ full-spread, comical cartoon scenes features an unobtrusive glimpse of a green tail or part of a humped back with jagged ridges. In the end, it all turns out to be a marketing ploy, foisted by the young narrator (who is last seen dressed in a dino costume and grinning mischievously) on an unsuspecting public to drum up business for his dad’s ice-cream stand during the cold season. Just an innocent trick, ho ho.
Another slyly disquieting outing from the creators of Who’s in the Bathroom? (2007). (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7613-8093-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Andersen Press USA
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Young fans of all things big and noisy will make trax for this dynamic dino-diversion.
The prehistoric metal monsters dug up and introduced in Dinotrux! (2009) break out—twice!—in this smashing (crashing, roaring, grinding) sequel.
Exploding through the dino-museum’s wall in the wake of a particularly stressful Kindergarten Day, enraged Tyrannosaurus Trux rolls off to climb a skyscraper. Meanwhile, hungry Garbageadon chows down on local traffic, a pair of Velocitractors plow up Main Street and Cementosaurus dumps a heaping “present” in the town square. Enough! declares the mayor, firmly dispatching the miscreant mega vehicles to school to learn better behavior. Further chaos threatens when they burst out again, though, taking along the children who have introduced them to the wonders of (truck) books and other reading. Towering massively atop heavy-duty tires, with wide, headlight eyes and toothy maws agape, Gall’s brawny beasts make modern construction vehicles look like jumped-up SmartCars. But even the most brutish dinotrux can find a place in today’s world, as the final playground scene suggests.
Young fans of all things big and noisy will make trax for this dynamic dino-diversion. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-316-13288-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012
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