Have cookie dough and frosting ready, as kids are sure to want to try their own hands at decorating after a few laugh-filled...
A dinosaur-shaped cookie takes matters—and frosting—into his own doughy hands.
The dino comes out of the oven full of himself, claiming to be “Cookiesaurus Rex, the King of All Cookies.” While he likes the green frosting the hand of his white baker squirts on him, he becomes disgruntled at the sight of the other cookies’ decorations, which include sprinkles, shiny stars, and gumdrops. He demands a “do over.” But the baker isn’t too fond of Rex’s imperiousness, issuing commands with nary a “please.” The hand uses bright pink frosting to turn Rex into a ballerina. The dino scrapes it off with a spatula, but the tantrum prompts the hand to turn him into a diapered baby, complete with a chocolate-chip trail of poop. That’s it! Let the battle begin! Rex is a superhero, a duck (“Ha-ha. I’m quacking up”), a ninja, a clown. But when Rex fashions himself into a king to beat all Mardi Gras kings, readers see a bit more of the creator than just a hand. The other cookies can’t help but smirk: “He took a licking.” Ford’s bright and funny illustrations perfectly complement Dominy and Evans’ tongue-in-cheek text. The cheeky dino is full of personality and spunk, and his facial expressions are priceless, inevitably recalling Daffy’s in the classic cartoon “Duck Amuck.”
Have cookie dough and frosting ready, as kids are sure to want to try their own hands at decorating after a few laugh-filled rereads. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4847-6744-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
Wins for compassion and for the refusal to let physical limitations hold one back.
With such short arms, how can Tiny T. Rex give a sad friend a hug?
Fleck goes for cute in the simple, minimally detailed illustrations, drawing the diminutive theropod with a chubby turquoise body and little nubs for limbs under a massive, squared-off head. Impelled by the sight of stegosaurian buddy Pointy looking glum, little Tiny sets out to attempt the seemingly impossible, a comforting hug. Having made the rounds seeking advice—the dino’s pea-green dad recommends math; purple, New Age aunt offers cucumber juice (“That is disgusting”); red mom tells him that it’s OK not to be able to hug (“You are tiny, but your heart is big!”), and blue and yellow older sibs suggest practice—Tiny takes up the last as the most immediately useful notion. Unfortunately, the “tree” the little reptile tries to hug turns out to be a pterodactyl’s leg. “Now I am falling,” Tiny notes in the consistently self-referential narrative. “I should not have let go.” Fortunately, Tiny lands on Pointy’s head, and the proclamation that though Rexes’ hugs may be tiny, “I will do my very best because you are my very best friend” proves just the mood-lightening ticket. “Thank you, Tiny. That was the biggest hug ever.” Young audiences always find the “clueless grown-ups” trope a knee-slapper, the overall tone never turns preachy, and Tiny’s instinctive kindness definitely puts him at (gentle) odds with the dinky dino star of Bob Shea’s Dinosaur Vs. series.
Wins for compassion and for the refusal to let physical limitations hold one back. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7033-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their...
Less ambitious than Chris Gall’s widely known Dinotrux (2009) and sequels, this British import systematically relegates each dinosaur/construction-equipment hybrid to its most logical job.
The title figures are introduced as bigger than both diggers and dinosaurs, and rhyming text and two construction-helmeted kids show just what these creatures are capable of. Each diggersaur has a specific job to do and a distinct sound effect. The dozersaurus moves rocks with a “SCRAAAAPE!!!” while the rollersaurus flattens lumps with a cheery “TOOT TOOT!!” Each diggersaur is numbered, with 12 in all, allowing this to be a counting book on the sly. As the diggersaurs (not all of which dig) perform jobs that regular construction equipment can do, albeit on a larger scale, there is no particular reason why any of them should have dinosaurlike looks other than just ’cause. Peppy computer art tries valiantly to attract attention away from the singularly unoriginal text. “Diggersaurs dig with bites so BIG, / each SCOOP creates a crater. // They’re TOUGH and STRONG / with necks so long— / they’re super EXCAVATORS!” Far more interesting are the two human characters, a white girl and a black boy, that flit about the pictures offering commentary and action. Much of the fun of the book can be found in trying to spot them on every two-page spread.
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their dino/construction kicks. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-4779-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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