DINOSAUR PIRATES!
by Penny Dale ; illustrated by Penny Dale
A dino yo ho ho and away we go!
Having already covered cars, trucks, and rockets (Dinosaur Rocket, 2015, etc.), Dale ensnares preschooler’s hearts and minds with yet another irresistible combination: dinos + pirates. In this latest edition to the series, the scaly scalawags take to the high seas. They’re on the hunt for booty, and they’ve a map to lead them on. Told in rhythmic, not-quite-rhyming language, the simple storyline is punctuated by context-appropriate interjections repeated in threes: “Scrub! Scrub! Scrub!” (as the dinos swab the decks) or “Heave ho! Heave ho! Heave ho!” (as they haul a treasure chest out of the ground). Little listeners will certainly join in with scurvy aplomb. Things take a turn for the interesting when a band of scavenging pirates (appropriately cast as a pack of “rotten raptors”) boards our heroes’ vessel, eager to nick the hard-sought gold. A great battle ensues, and through clever trickery the raptors are defeated. Great merriment follows. While there is little here that is particularly original, Dale’s vibrant and elaborately detailed pencil-and-watercolor illustrations breathe new life into these long-extinct rogues. This is a book that knows its audience and will suit the needs of pirate and dinosaur fans alike.
Rousing dino adventure with enough tooth-to-claw fighting for an exciting climax.
(Picture book. 3-6)