PUP AND DRAGON

Pup and Dragon are determined to trap a dino.

The first entry in the series—a spinoff from the publisher’s holiday-themed How To Catch… picture books—saw the pair attempting to catch an elf. This time, they notice the local kids working on a project in the hopes of winning the science fair; first prize is a brand-new bicycle. The kids intend to catch a living dinosaur—they’re everywhere, right? Pup and Dragon decide to help. Every time they concoct a plan, however, they wind up wrecking or otherwise falling for one of the traps built by the kids…before picking themselves up and starting again. This formula repeats several times throughout the book but stays fresh with each new contraption. Eventually, it dawns on Pup to help the kids use their talents to win the science fair another way. If Pup and Dragon’s determination and brainstorming set a positive example, then their shirking of blame for the destruction of others’ property is their countervailing vice. Most pages contain four to five panels or one large panel, with action demonstrating clear cause and effect. The cartoon images are appropriately exaggerated and over-the-top, with a Looney Tunes feel; a dinosaur charges through and evades capture every so often, like a mute Road Runner. The kids, who have no dialogue, are racially diverse.

This pair may not catch their prehistoric prey, but they’ll definitely capture readers’ imagination.