A delightful combo of fun and facts about reptiles on the road.
Levinson double-dips, deftly combining vehicle obsession with dinosaur devotion.
This Triassic population inhabits a world of modern infrastructure. On the opening spread, set against a backdrop that hints equally at Manhattan and Seattle, extinct reptiles fill the highway in an assortment of cars and trucks (fuel tanker, steamroller, dump truck, ice cream vending van, pickup, race car, and more). Scenes subsequently shift from city to country, but dinosaurs at the wheel are a constant. Clever, varied verses set a jaunty beat while offering colorful commentary on the action, while speech-bubble dialogue between tiny Triceratops and Pterosaur (who wears cowboy boots) provides further dino facts. Buckle up for wordplay like “CAR-NIVORE” and a minor running joke about the unfamiliarity of animals that haven’t made it on the scene yet. Fossil fuel is presented as a no-no, and the periodic menace of T. rexends comically when he commits a parking violation. Finally, Levinson addresses the reptiles’ eventual disappearance by explaining that they traveled into space. Readers meet not only well-known dinos but also Trachodon, Aquilops (one of whom uses a wheelchair), Tuarangisaurus, and others, some using female pronouns. An unobtrusive pronunciation guide for each creature offers readers welcome help. The entertaining, Richard Scarry–inflected art is colorful and busy, with many small details repaying scrutiny—newspaper vending machines, volcanic explosions, and more—and driving youngsters to repeat reading.
A delightful combo of fun and facts about reptiles on the road. (Picture book/poetry. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781774885239
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses.
An elusive new quarry leads the How To Catch… kids on a merry chase through a natural history museum.
Taking at least a step away from the “hunters versus prey” vibe of previous entries in the popular series, the racially diverse group of young visitors dashes through various museum halls in pursuit of the eponymous dino—whose quest to “spread kindness and joy ’round the world” takes the form of a mildly tumultuous museum tour. In most of Elkerton’s overly sweet, color-saturated scenes, only portions of the Loveosaurus, who is purple and covered with pink hearts, are visible behind exhibits or lumbering off the page. But the children find small enticements left behind, from craft supplies to make cards for endangered species to pictures of smiley faces, candy heart–style personal notes (“You Rock!” “Give Hugs”), and, in the hall of medieval arms and armor, a sign urging them to “Be Honest Be Kind.” The somewhat heavy-handed lesson comes through loud and clear. “There’s a message, he wants us to think,” hints Walstead to clue in more obtuse readers…and concluding scenes of smiling people young and otherwise exchanging hugs and knuckle bumps, holding doors for a wheelchair rider, and dancing through clouds of sparkles indicate that they, at least, have gotten it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 9781728268781
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Whether spoken by a dinosaur or a human, this parental message clearly radiates “I’ve loved you from the start.”
The cover’s glowing golden stars are but a small hint of the parent-child love inside.
In this companion book to the creators’ I Love You, My Little Unicorn (2022), a world full of digitally created dinosaurs illustrated in eye-catching colors dominates the pages. From the start, it’s clear that dinosaur parents have the same hopes and dreams for their offspring that human parents do. Readers don’t have to be dinosaur fans to smile when the parent-and-child dinosaur pairs playfully interact and share loving glances. Take special note of the ankylosauruses, whose tails arc to form a heart beneath a sky filled with heart-shaped clouds. The text in verse shares words of unconditional parental love and support and wisdom (“please remember all these things / that I want you to know”), appropriate for humans and dinos alike. “Roar with all your might!” “Spread your wings and fly.” “Use your voice, and ask for help.” There’s even a caveat that some “days will be dark / and other shades of gray.” But “there’s always brightness up ahead.” While the loving sentiments in the storytelling are clear, words are sometimes inverted to make the rhyme work, and the verse doesn’t always follow a consistent meter, but prereading will let the story shine during quiet snuggle times.
Whether spoken by a dinosaur or a human, this parental message clearly radiates “I’ve loved you from the start.” (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781728268361
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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