Danny and his dinosaur (who, although he has been Danny's friend since 1958, has never been given a name) are off again, this time to summer camp, and everyone has a wonderful time, including readers. Danny's dinosaur makes everything more fun—racing (he needs to take only one step to win), rowing (he's the boat), hiking (he can offer all the tired hikers a ride home), eating a lot of toasted marshmallows (guess who eats the most?), or sleeping under the stars (no cot is big enough for a dinosaur). Hoff's simple prose and cartoon illustrations make a delightful book for beginning readers, with enough difficult words—ketchup and pizza- -to keep the story interesting, and enough clues in the illustrations to ensure new readers success. Every collection will have room for this welcome addition to the popular series. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: May 31, 1996
ISBN: 0-06-026439-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
In the crowded field of dinosaur-themed children’s books, this one does not shine.
Do you want to celebrate your birthday with dinosaurs?
“Dinosaurs are BIG and strong. / They’re clumsy and they’re FARTY,” we’re told. “So do you really want them coming / to your birthday party?” A birthday banner drapes across the gutter, while full-bleed art depicts a diverse group of partygoers surrounded by dinos and looking perturbed (one child is holding their nose). The party appears to be thrown by a pair of adults for their child (all are brown-skinned). Spread after spread features overly busy art and more verse about why dinosaurs make poor party guests. A dinosaur at a pool party would jump in and displace all the water. Brontosaurus would love playing hide-and-seek—but likely wouldn’t be very good at it. Dinosaurs would gobble up all the food and, in their haste, accidentally trample all the birthday gifts. But, the narrator points out, dinosaurs are well intentioned, and soon we see examples of prehistoric pals working to make the celebration a smashing success—a group of kids use a dinosaur belly as a trampoline, and a velociraptor joins in for a fun game of tag. Though some dino fans may enjoy this one, it doesn’t rise to the top. The art is garish, and the verse often scans awkwardly. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
In the crowded field of dinosaur-themed children’s books, this one does not shine. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 20, 2023
ISBN: 9781400242054
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Mammoth fun for dinosaur and pet lovers alike.
Face it: when you think about dinosaurs and other animals, you think predator-prey, no?
Not necessarily, according to Yolen and Teague’s latest entry in their popular How Do Dinosaurs…? series. Clearly saurians appreciate pets as much as, er, anyone—and this endearing installment attempts to shed light on how they select them. Considering what a dino could choose—a tiger, for instance (the one on the cover and in an interior illustration looks none too thrilled)—your everyday adorable kitty, pup, or hamster sounds just right. Speaking of “just right,” readers learn that dinos know the proper protocol for pet selection—never from a zoo but, rather, from a shelter, pet store, or farm. Wherever the pet comes from, loving care is what counts most. Yolen’s rhymes are jaunty, and, as always, Teague has a field day. His illustrations highlight the unbridled joy these vibrantly colored, lesser-known species of dinos (labeled in illustrations and on endpapers) have playing with a variety of creatures, and the artist has a dino-sized blast playing with perspective and spatial relationships. Interestingly, animals of the canine and feline varieties, rendered tiny of necessity, seem nonplussed by the generally enormous dinosaurs and, potential and current pet guardian-readers will be happy to note, take to TLC with devoted face licks, despite size differentials. Human figures are depicted with a variety of skin tones and ages.
Mammoth fun for dinosaur and pet lovers alike. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 27, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-338-03278-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2016
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