THE RAPPING ROCKING DINOSAUR BAND

A music-loving group of dinosaurs discovers a unique way to defend themselves against the scary T. Rex blocking their path.

Toot and Boomer Parasaurolophus have loved music since they discovered they could make it by blowing air through tubes in their crests. They soon join musical forces with Tuffy Pteranodon, Andy Ankylosaur, and Bibi Bambiraptor to rap and rock the days away. Bam Bam Triceratops, however, thinks the group is silly and should instead join his gang to spend time learning to defend themselves against Boris the Tyrannosaurus. But Boomer isn’t concerned, since Boris lives far away. But when the T. Rex threatens the triceratops gang, Toot and her friends rap and rock so loudly that the big dinosaur flees: “[Boris’s] little arms were too short to hold over his ears! ‘Rappa-tap, honk, thump, toot, tweet, boom, squeak, squawk, roar!’” The text overlays full-page color illustrations by Balojani that feature wide-eyed, colorfully cartoonish dinosaurs. Kids will enjoy joining in on the frequent music sounds. One could easily envision much stomping during a reading. With music at the story’s core, it’s surprising that the whole book doesn’t rhyme, and there’s also one page with a different font that looks like a mistake. Despite these hiccups, Lenz’s picture book presents a lighthearted, engaging dinosaur world that will likely get the whole family moving.

A fun, interactive, unpolished story, ideal for young readers who love music and dinosaurs.