Van Allsburg–like magic infuses this fantastic tale.
An unavoidable disappointment becomes a marvelous Mesozoic memory.
Jake plans his whole birthday party around his obsession with dinosaurs: “dino games, dino balloons, dino cake. Dino everything!” But when his flu-stricken guests cancel, that “STUPENDOUS” sleepover must be rescheduled. Jake sadly goes to bed in his dino-themed room—until a snort in the night awakens him. Instead of his three friends, a trio of prehistoric pals are snacking in front of his TV. He’s stunned, but, ever the expert, he still easily identifies them: Dryosaurus, Leptoceratops, and Pachycephalosaurus. He squashes in among them to watch the movie and eat cheese curls. The party is a roaring success as Jake teaches the friendly but clueless reptiles how to play games (except pin-the-tail-on-the-dinosaur; they’re afraid of getting pricked). The party spills out into the yard and then the neighborhood as more dino guests arrive; they then visit each of the sick kids. Carnivorous T. rex hasn’t been invited—but of course she quietly shows up, shyly admitting that she’s often overlooked. Grateful to be included, she plays goalie in a climactic soccer game, which is dubbed “STUPENDOUS.” Was it all a dream? The final page is convincingly conclusive, even for skeptical adults. In the ebullient, realistic illustrations, the dinosaurs are striped and spotted; Jake’s light-skinned, and his human pals vary in skin tone. The night atmosphere is enthrallingly dim and star-spangled, and Jake’s emotions are compellingly conveyed.
Van Allsburg–like magic infuses this fantastic tale. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9780735269231
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound.
The titular cookie runs off the page at a bookstore storytime, pursued by young listeners and literary characters.
Following on 13 previous How To Catch… escapades, Wallace supplies sometimes-tortured doggerel and Elkerton, a set of helter-skelter cartoon scenes. Here the insouciant narrator scampers through aisles, avoiding a series of elaborate snares set by the racially diverse young storytime audience with help from some classic figures: “Alice and her mad-hat friends, / as a gift for my unbirthday, / helped guide me through the walls of shelves— / now I’m bound to find my way.” The literary helpers don’t look like their conventional or Disney counterparts in the illustrations, but all are clearly identified by at least a broad hint or visual cue, like the unnamed “wizard” who swoops in on a broom to knock over a tower labeled “Frogwarts.” Along with playing a bit fast and loose with details (“Perhaps the boy with the magic beans / saved me with his cow…”) the author discards his original’s lip-smacking climax to have the errant snack circling back at last to his book for a comfier sort of happily-ever-after.
A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0935-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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