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 charming continuation of a much-beloved series—and a clever tribute to the power of storytelling.
Scheherazade hasn’t got a thing on this sneaky mouse’s tale-telling talents.
The Gruffalo—the furry, yellow-eyed creature readers may remember from Donaldson and Scheffler’s classic work of the same name—and his daughter receive notice that Gruffalo Granny will soon be coming for a visit. This calls for a special meal, but what to serve? Ultimately, the Gruffalos decide to snatch up that same mouse who dodged their hungry tummies in the first book. When the mouse is informed that they intend to pop him in a stew, he acquiesces but asks if he can tell a story first. As in The Thousand and One Nights, the mouse leaves his tale unfinished each evening; the Gruffalos let him live so they can hear what happens. By night, the mouse gnaws on the bars of his cage. Eventually, there’s a happy ending, not just for the mouse but for the Gruffalos as well (Granny has different tastes than expected). Donaldson’s gently rhyming text will have readers as rapt as the Gruffalo and his child. Featuring saturated colors and characters who are utterly sweet for all their fangs and claws, Scheffler’s artwork hasn’t changed a jot since the Mouse and Gruffalo first met. References to the creators’ previous works provide delightful easter eggs for fans.
A charming continuation of a much-beloved series—and a clever tribute to the power of storytelling. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
ISBN: 9798217238736
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
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
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