Prehistoric parenting, likely to elicit a chuckle or two despite the blandly conventional ending.
A towering T. Rex finds himself serving as an impromptu daddy in this Japanese import.
Primed to snap up a hypercute Ankylosaurus hatchling, the drooling Tyrannosaurus is utterly befuddled by its adoring “Daddy!” and “I wanna be big JUST LIKE YOU.” He’s so thrown that he finds himself defending the tyke from another predator’s attack and even choking down the berries that the little grass-eater eagerly brings him each morning. The Tyrannosaurus looks more like a stylized Godzilla than a recognizable dino in the simply drawn pictures, but his toothy fierceness and the extreme size differential between him and tiny “Yummy” ably capture the episode’s essential features. Bold lines and strong color contrasts (plus the odd exploding volcano) give the prehistoric landscape plenty of visual appeal too. But Miyanishi opts for a trite conclusion to the relationship, as despite its insistence that they will be together forever, no sooner does the Ankylosaurus happen upon a pair of adults of its own kind than it switches allegiance. At least he doesn’t get eaten, as happens in such other predator-prey stories as Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross’ Tadpole’s Promise (2005) or Jeff Mack’s Frog and Fly (2012).
Prehistoric parenting, likely to elicit a chuckle or two despite the blandly conventional ending. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-940842-06-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Museyon
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
A retro-futuristic romp, literally and figuratively screwy.
Robo-parents Diode and Lugnut present daughter Cathode with a new little brother—who requires, unfortunately, some assembly.
Arriving in pieces from some mechanistic version of Ikea, little Flange turns out to be a cute but complicated tyke who immediately falls apart…and then rockets uncontrollably about the room after an overconfident uncle tinkers with his basic design. As a squad of helpline techies and bevies of neighbors bearing sludge cake and like treats roll in, the cluttered and increasingly crowded scene deteriorates into madcap chaos—until at last Cath, with help from Roomba-like robodog Sprocket, stages an intervention by whisking the hapless new arrival off to a backyard workshop for a proper assembly and software update. “You’re such a good big sister!” warbles her frazzled mom. Wiesner’s robots display his characteristic clean lines and even hues but endearingly look like vaguely anthropomorphic piles of random jet-engine parts and old vacuum cleaners loosely connected by joints of armored cable. They roll hither and thither through neatly squared-off panels and pages in infectiously comical dismay. Even the end’s domestic tranquility lasts only until Cathode spots the little box buried in the bigger one’s packing material: “TWINS!” (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 52% of actual size.)
A retro-futuristic romp, literally and figuratively screwy. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-544-98731-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses.
An elusive new quarry leads the How To Catch… kids on a merry chase through a natural history museum.
Taking at least a step away from the “hunters versus prey” vibe of previous entries in the popular series, the racially diverse group of young visitors dashes through various museum halls in pursuit of the eponymous dino—whose quest to “spread kindness and joy ’round the world” takes the form of a mildly tumultuous museum tour. In most of Elkerton’s overly sweet, color-saturated scenes, only portions of the Loveosaurus, who is purple and covered with pink hearts, are visible behind exhibits or lumbering off the page. But the children find small enticements left behind, from craft supplies to make cards for endangered species to pictures of smiley faces, candy heart–style personal notes (“You Rock!” “Give Hugs”), and, in the hall of medieval arms and armor, a sign urging them to “Be Honest Be Kind.” The somewhat heavy-handed lesson comes through loud and clear. “There’s a message, he wants us to think,” hints Walstead to clue in more obtuse readers…and concluding scenes of smiling people young and otherwise exchanging hugs and knuckle bumps, holding doors for a wheelchair rider, and dancing through clouds of sparkles indicate that they, at least, have gotten it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sugary uplift, shrink-wrapped for the masses. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 9781728268781
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
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