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
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses.
An elusive new quarry leads the How To Catch… kids on a merry chase through a natural history museum.
Taking at least a step away from the “hunters versus prey” vibe of previous entries in the popular series, the racially diverse group of young visitors dashes through various museum halls in pursuit of the eponymous dino—whose quest to “spread kindness and joy ’round the world” takes the form of a mildly tumultuous museum tour. In most of Elkerton’s overly sweet, color-saturated scenes, only portions of the Loveosaurus, who is purple and covered with pink hearts, are visible behind exhibits or lumbering off the page. But the children find small enticements left behind, from craft supplies to make cards for endangered species to pictures of smiley faces, candy heart–style personal notes (“You Rock!” “Give Hugs”), and, in the hall of medieval arms and armor, a sign urging them to “Be Honest Be Kind.” The somewhat heavy-handed lesson comes through loud and clear. “There’s a message, he wants us to think,” hints Walstead to clue in more obtuse readers…and concluding scenes of smiling people young and otherwise exchanging hugs and knuckle bumps, holding doors for a wheelchair rider, and dancing through clouds of sparkles indicate that they, at least, have gotten it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 9781728268781
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
