Fast-paced and hilarious hijinks, with a lesson of inclusion.
Just whose book is this?
Pastel-clad princesses, parading against a backdrop of rainbows, crystals, and unicorns and other cute critters, contend for possession of this book with raging reptiles, rampaging amid exploding volcanoes and crashing meteors. “We eat princesses for breakfast,” declare the dinos. Damsels who vary in body size and skin tone, dressed in jewels, tiaras, and spectacles, confront grim, flame-streaked skies and toothy, snarling behemoths across alternate pages. It almost feels as though these two groups inhabit different books, but they trade nearly identically worded insults across the gutter (“Go suck an egg.” “No, YOU go suck an egg!”) and form separate but matching huddles to strategize. The dinos call in Dennis, a looming, toothy T. rex. But just as the Mesozoic monsters are triumphantly high-fiving, the princesses’ champion Shirley, an immense, fire-breathing purple dragon, flies dramatically across the page. Stalemate? Not at all! Subsequent events unfold at breakneck, satisfying speed as prima donnas and prehistoric beasts realize the error of their ways. Can’t dinosaurs wear ribbons and pearls? Couldn’t princesses ride a Parasaurolophus or sport a horned helmet? Isn’t it more fun to play together? The amusingly dissonant cartoon illustrations and saucy character comments (entirely in speech balloons) make for an absolute blast, with a clear yet never heavy-handed message of acceptance.
Fast-paced and hilarious hijinks, with a lesson of inclusion. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 9780735264298
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their...
Less ambitious than Chris Gall’s widely known Dinotrux (2009) and sequels, this British import systematically relegates each dinosaur/construction-equipment hybrid to its most logical job.
The title figures are introduced as bigger than both diggers and dinosaurs, and rhyming text and two construction-helmeted kids show just what these creatures are capable of. Each diggersaur has a specific job to do and a distinct sound effect. The dozersaurus moves rocks with a “SCRAAAAPE!!!” while the rollersaurus flattens lumps with a cheery “TOOT TOOT!!” Each diggersaur is numbered, with 12 in all, allowing this to be a counting book on the sly. As the diggersaurs (not all of which dig) perform jobs that regular construction equipment can do, albeit on a larger scale, there is no particular reason why any of them should have dinosaurlike looks other than just ’cause. Peppy computer art tries valiantly to attract attention away from the singularly unoriginal text. “Diggersaurs dig with bites so BIG, / each SCOOP creates a crater. // They’re TOUGH and STRONG / with necks so long— / they’re super EXCAVATORS!” Far more interesting are the two human characters, a white girl and a black boy, that flit about the pictures offering commentary and action. Much of the fun of the book can be found in trying to spot them on every two-page spread.
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their dino/construction kicks. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-4779-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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