The title question is answered engagingly with comparisons of a handful of dinosaurs to objects and animals children will readily recognize.
Velociraptor, spreading terror in audiences since the first Jurassic Park movie, was only the size of a dog, though still pretty vicious. Stegosaurus was as heavy as three cows, but the plates on its back made it look much bigger. Argentinosaurus was the length of four school buses, but at least it was a vegetarian—it ate trees. Images of these dinos next to children, adults and common objects (note the SUV crushed by Ankylosaurus) on white backgrounds are not only amusing, but give a real sense of scale. All the people, animals and dinosaurs that populate these pages appear again, to scale, in a wonderful double foldout. Colors are clean and clear, outlines are crisp. Judge also describes how she figured out the relative sizes of the dinosaurs by studying fossils and skeletons at various museums, and she offers a very brief book and website bibliography. Perhaps a favorite might be Tsintaosaurus, which had a spike “like a giant unicorn” growing out of its head. Dino-philes, assemble! (Informational picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-59643-719-7
Page Count: 46
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A jumble of frenetic energy and bad jokes for readers with a taste for same.
A team of dino-heroes foils the plots of their archenemies in this energetic graphic novel.
Dinomighties to the rescue! Purple Teri-Dactyl is “a motivated and resilient go-getter”; Dave is an orange triceratops who loves food and “pumping iron”; teal T-Lex loves selfies (but it’s a bummer they’re all of her chin) and loud roars; and Bach is an extremely intelligent, science-loving chicken whose only utterance is the sound “bok.” When the team receives an anonymous email with the message “D0n’+ L00k n0w bu+ +r0ubl3 1s af00t,” they know someone is looking to become their archnemeses. Soon the Dinomighties learn that “bad guys extraordinaire” Diplodocus and Diplodoofus have plotted to steal the “golden egglettes…the most valuable jewels in all of Dinotown and beyond,” which are hidden away in Cosmos Castle. It’s up to the Dinomighties to save the day. The script is filled with painful puns and easy jokes just waiting for a percussive sting. From a character-development standpoint, the team’s dynamic is supportive but chaotic, and it’s unclear how or why the Dinomighties assembled in the first place. Blecha’s cartoon stylization is filled to the brim with bright colors, goofy faces, and action-oriented emanata that leave readers little space to rest their eyes, but those with a tolerance for visual noise will certainly be engaged. Dinos assigned feminine pronouns are drawn with pronounced eyelashes even though they are reptiles.
A jumble of frenetic energy and bad jokes for readers with a taste for same. (Graphic adventure. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-33156-8
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Etch/HMH
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A generous slice of wacky, with savory bits of good detective work melted in.
Two young sleuths set out to identify a mysterious pepperoni thief in this series opener.
The exciting prospect of a real case at last has violet T. rex Dino Detective rousting her marsupial sibling sidekick Awesome Possum out of bed and racing downstairs with potted Plant—silent partner but also occasional snide narrator—to track down the malefactor who has stripped Grandma Thunderclaps’ homemade pizza of its tasty topping. Tantalizing distractions include a secret agent lunch lady fairy and overheard schemes being laid by mice in an array of disguises from clown to alien. Notwithstanding these, the dedicated gumshoes forge on in their investigation—until, frustratingly, every suspect is apparently ruled out by either logic or alibi. But in true whodunit fashion Bentley tucks in clues from the first page on…which Dino at last puts together to catch the culprit red (sauce) handed. Carping pizza purists may object that the victimized “Sicilian” looks more round than rectangular in some views, but the cartoon images of suspect dossiers and multispecies cast members reflect the tale’s surreal character and manic pacing nicely. They share space with the well-leaded text on nearly every page. Grandma and the lunch lady, the only figures with human faces, present White.
A generous slice of wacky, with savory bits of good detective work melted in. (Mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: March 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-09348-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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