THE DINOSAUR THAT POOPED A PLANET!

Name: THE DINOSAUR THAT POOPED A PLANET!
Author: Tom Fletcher
ISBN: 978-1-4814-9866-1

by Tom Fletcher & Dougie Poynter ; illustrated by Garry Parsons ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2017

It’s easy to smell a storytime hit, thanks to the combination of unvarnished doggerel and poop in literally astronomical...

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When Danny takes his voracious pet dinosaur into space but forgets to bring lunch, there’s only one way to get back home.

Soaring into orbit aboard a rocket stolen from the science museum, Danny’s all set for an exciting adventure. Unfortunately, the lack of provisions soon has his humongous companion not only chowing down on the control boards, but sallying out to chomp on the moon, Martian passers-by, “satellites, Saturn, and six supernovas, / Shape-shifting saucers and seven space rovers,” until at last even the spacecraft itself has gone down the hatch. How to get back to Earth? Dino to the rescue: “With the feeling of guilt deep down in its gut, / Its brain brewed a plan involving its butt.” Propelled by a massive diarrheic stream that looks in the cartoon illustrations like golden cake batter studded with partially digested science gear, off rockets the white lad perched aboard his bulbous buddy…leaving behind a new, brown companion for the moon. Fletcher, Poynter, and Parsons gleefully and unapologetically play to the lowest possible common denominator, from concept to limping verse and (adult) stomach-turning visuals.

It’s easy to smell a storytime hit, thanks to the combination of unvarnished doggerel and poop in literally astronomical quantities. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4814-9866-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Aladdin

Review Posted Online: May 9, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S DINOSAURS & PREHISTORIC CREATURES | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

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THERE'S A BEAR IN YOUR BOOK
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Tom Fletcher

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THERE'S A UNICORN IN YOUR BOOK
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott

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THERE'S A WITCH IN YOUR BOOK
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott

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TINY T. REX AND THE GRAND TA-DA!

by Jonathan Stutzman ; illustrated by Jay Fleck ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2023

A muddy message about stick-to-itiveness salvaged by a winsome dino duo.

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Tiny T. Rex and Pointy the stegosaurus overcome their fears and inexperience to participate in the talent show.

Inspired by the Amazing Presto, enthusiastic Tiny and apprehensive Pointy decide to do a magic act. They don top hats and wield wands, select their magic word, and enlist the help of their special assistant, Bob the teddy bear. At first, the pair expect the magic to just happen, but after careful planning and creative thinking, they find a way to make their disappearing trick work. Nervous Pointy pulls out of the performance at the last minute but in the end finds the courage to appear on stage—as Tiny puts it, “Sometimes the grandest ta-da is not making something disappear. It is when someone who disappeared bravely comes back.” Stutzman’s story touches on hard work and preparation, feelings of anxiety, and perseverance. Tiny does the majority of the narration with brief interjections from Pointy. As a result, aside from facial expressions, readers mostly learn how Pointy feels through Tiny. Because the story never shows Pointy working through fears or uncertainties, some may find the resolution a bit too easily wrapped up. Still, the two are a charming pair. Fleck’s illustrations feature sweet dinos with Tiny’s recognizable toothy grin, bright colors, and a cute supporting cast of characters. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A muddy message about stick-to-itiveness salvaged by a winsome dino duo. (Picture book. 4-6)

Pub Date: April 11, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-45218-488-3

Page Count: 52

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S DINOSAURS & PREHISTORIC CREATURES

- BOOK REVIEW
FITZ AND CLEO PUT A PARTY ON IT
by Jonathan Stutzman ; illustrated by Heather Fox

- BOOK REVIEW
SOON, YOUR HANDS
by Jonathan Stutzman ; illustrated by Elizabeth Lilly

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOUSE WHO CARRIED A HOUSE ON HIS BACK
by Jonathan Stutzman ; illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

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IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A DINOSAUR

by Linda Bailey ; illustrated by Colin Jack ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 13, 2014

Well-trodden dino turf, but the grass is still fairly green.

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A tongue-in-cheek look at some of the many ways that idle household dinosaurs can be put to work.

Jack casts a host of cartoon dinosaurs—most of them humongous, nearly all smiling and candy bright of hue—in roles as can openers, potato mashers, yard sweepers, umbrellas on rainy days, snowplows, garbage collectors, and like helpers or labor savers. Even babysitters, though, as Bailey aptly notes, “not all dinosaurs are suited to this work.” Still, “[t]he possibilities are amazing!” And even if there aren’t any handy dinos around, she concludes, any live-in octopus, sasquatch, kangaroo or other creature can be likewise exploited. A bespectacled, woolly-haired boy who looks rather a lot like Weird Al Yankovic serves as dino-wrangler in chief, heading up a multiethnic cast of kids who enjoy the dinosaurs’ services. As with all books of this ilk, the humor depends on subtextual visual irony. A group of kids happily flying pterosaur kites sets up a gag featuring a little boy holding a limp string tied to the tail of a grumpy-looking stegosaurus. Changes on this premise have been run over and over since Bernard Most’s If the Dinosaurs Came Back (1978), and though this iteration doesn’t have any fresh twists to offer, at least it’s bright and breezy enough to ward off staleness.

Well-trodden dino turf, but the grass is still fairly green. (Picture book. 4-6)