Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4^-8. In a palm tree^-patterned sport shirt, his camera slung around his neck, and an "I Love New York" guidebook in hand, a stegosaurus plays tourist, lumbering up the steps of the American Museum of Natural History for the Dinosaurs Forever exhibit. Children who accompany him will be rewarded with zippy poems and hilarious art that together humanize the extinct yet undyingly popular creatures. Sometimes the ditties are pure silliness. Often the poems are lightheartedly informative, as when the ghost of stegosaurus debates his brainpower with a human scholar, or when three dinosaurs dressed as vaudeville performers describe the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Always the verses are framed by Munsinger's laugh-out-loud, pen-and-ink and watercolor creations: in a Mary Poppins outfit, a maiasaur pushes the pram with her bonneted babies aboard; a triceratops is a tough guy in his spiked collar and black leather jacket; and a gorgosaurus in the dentist's chair is a frightened mess of massive teeth. A keenly imaginative book. --Ellen Mandel
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wise and Munsinger serve up 22 original, rhyming poems about dinosaurs with well-researched, airy and cheerfully rendered pictures. "Some dinosaur characters are brought into modern times and even share quirky human attributes, making this collection all the more entertaining," said PW. Ages 4-8. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-Lilting, rhythmic rhymes will have the names of those ancient beasts rolling off readers' tongues, and scientific facts have never been so much fun. Even the small-brained Stegosaurus makes this astute observation: "So, while it's true that Man is bright-/On this we both agree-/Can we be sure, with all his brains,/He'll last as long as me?" More than one rhyme describes the diets of the mighty beasts. "Dinosaur Noises" leaves no doubt about the consequences of overeating: "Burp! Burp! Burp!/It's their stomachs overheating." The accompanying illustration shows the two beasts with bloated bellies politely covering their mouths. Each poem is illustrated with large, colorful drawings of the dinosaurs on display. White space often gives accent to the art, which features readily identifiable creatures that exude charm and humor. Their countenances are uniquely expressive as they take on human characteristics, and, often, human attire. A collection to treasure-forever!-Carolyn Janssen, Rockford Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Both amusing and informative, this charming collection of doggerel about dinosaurs boasts some clever turns of phrase. But the strength of the book lies in its pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations by a master of anthropomorphism. A helpful pronunciation guide is provided. From HORN BOOK Fall 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Twenty-one dinosaur poems and dozens of humorous drawings to delight dinosaur lovers of all ages will make this new collection a real favorite. Adults be warned: children will want these poems read aloud. Consult the helpful pronunciation guide before attempting such poems as "The Awful Three," which includes the verse: "The first was Rhamphorhynchus, / Hardly longer than your arm, / A grisly little monster / With very little charm." While the rhymes are sometimes forced--for example, "ungracious" "Cretaceous"--it's hard not to smile at the toothy vaudevillian T. Rex with straw hat and cane doing a soft shoe. The picture book set will giggle at the variety of urban dinosaurs in costume and clothing, lumbering though the city with Walkman, cell phone, running shoes, and skateboards. The author of Ten Sly Piranhas (1993) presents the familiar dinosaurs: T. Rex, Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, and Triceratops, and the less familiar Gorgosaurus. While children will pick their own favorites, the last poem, "Dinosaurs Forever," will speak to all: "... But as long as there are those of us / Who love 'The Beast that Roars,' / No matter what the experts say-- / There will always be Dinosaurs!" (Poetry. 5-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
