A funny, weird, and wondrous eyeful.
In the fourth title in the What the Dinosaurs Did series, the rampaging reptiles smell candy.
“Pay close attention on Halloween night, and you might see strange little shadows darken your hall. Not cast by ghouls, goblins, or ghosts…” The shadows are, of course, cast by miniature dinosaurs, and, having scented candy, they’re on the hunt. They attempt a candy raid by parachute (epic fail). They tie a rope to a plunger that they try to shoot at a tantalizing candy bowl (no go). Most sneakily and promisingly, they don Halloween costumes to avoid detection. This series’ calling card is its eye-blasting illustrations—in this case, photographs that were, per an authors’ note, “taken using a DSLR camera haunted by a mildly disgruntled spirit known only as ‘Gary.’” The images conjure the full-color saturation of CGI-heavy movies, but more captivating than famous actors are this book’s stars: plastic toy dinos (the kind for sale at a natural history museum’s gift shop) and the authors’ young, mostly white-presenting human friends, who posed in Halloween costumes, one kid presiding as the keeper of the candy, aka the dinos’ archnemesis. The photos have the immediacy of an I Spy book’s art and plenty of humor; the stegosaurus dressed up like a taco is especially chuckle-worthy. (Nice one, Gary.)
A funny, weird, and wondrous eyeful. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 21, 2026
ISBN: 9780316577533
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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