Review by Booklist Review
In the same vein as I Stink! (2002) and I'm Bad! (2008), this title features an oversize, swaggering hero, who is, this time, a whole lotta lizard. After waking late and discovering that his herd has disappeared, a giant purple sauropod sets out to find his fellow biggies and has a run-in with menacing predators along the way. A subtle message about standing ground against bullies underlies this story, which features the McMullans' familiar delights: infectiously, rhythmic text; inventive, animated art; and an endearing, boastful narrator whose kidlike qualities children will instantly recognize.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A purple sauropod finds that his herd has left him behind in the McMullans' (I'm Bad!) slangy, loosely rhymed story about discovering one's strengths. Along his journey, the long-necked sauropod meets dinos of all shapes and sizes, and when faced with claws, fangs, and spikes, he realizes that he's "a whole lotta lizard!" and uses what he's got to scare his enemies away ("I'm a mountain on the move! I am thunder comin' at you"). All's well at the end of the day ("Sure feels good bein' with my biggies"), but it's unlikely the dino or readers will soon forget such a big adventure. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A late-waking sauropod finds himself alone and asks some prehistoric beasts if they have seen his herd. Suddenly, he runs into toothy, clawy predators and knows he's in big trouble. He's too heavy to run, too big to hide, and has no good fighting body parts. But then he realizes that with his huge dimensions, he can bluff and scare the carnivores away. In the process, he spots the footprints of his herd, resulting in a joyful reunion. This tale of a young dinosaur finding his inner power is told through childlike vernacular with varying type sizes and colors to emphasize mood. The full-color watercolor illustrations feature plenty of action and multiple perspectives as the cheeky, pink, purple, and blue protagonist seeks out others of his kind. Perfect as a read-aloud or a read-alone, this story about a lost youngster finding his courage and his mojo will secure a welcome place in the vast herd of picture books available.-Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI (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
From the winning trash talk of I Stink!'s garbage truck (rev. 5/02) to the snarling bluster of I'm Bad!'s T. Rex (rev. 5/08), intimidation has long been the forte of McMullan main characters. Here another dino, an outsized Sauropod, learns that acting tough can actually keep him alive. Distressed because his herd has moved on without him while he slept, he goes looking for them and runs into some seriously scary dudes -- predators with "FANGS! CLAWS! SPIKES!" The slang-y, colloquial first-person narration -- a McMullan staple -- walks readers through our large purple (not Barney grape; more mauve) friend's self-defense options. "I'm too heavy for speed. Can't run! What do I do? HIDE?" But, as the spirited cartoon artwork demonstrates, a multi-ton lizard is hard to conceal. Since he also doesn't have the physical features to be a good fighter, he turns to his not-so-secret weapon: size. "Don't mess with me, car-ni-vories! Can't you see? I'm a WHOLE LOTTA LIZARD!" Looking big is a strategy used often in the wild, and readers will be happy to see it work for this essentially gentle giant, from whom the fanged, clawed, spiked, yet puny bullies turn tail. christine m. heppermann (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
In this fourth and weakest companion to the instant classic I Stink! (2002), a "super-sorry sauropod" sleeps through his herd's departure and sosounding just like the trucks and the T. Rex in previous iterations: "Wanna help me find my pack? / Awright, let's get a move on"sets off across the prehistoric landscape in pursuit. Big the lumbering narrator may be, but just how big? Different spreads tell differing taleshere he stretches his neck "five stories high" for an aerial look-see, but elsewhere he cowers behind a tree that towers over him, and in some scenes his legs are twice as long as in others. Moreover, the "stegos" he passes are the same size as the "diplos" in a later encounter, and the feathered alarm clock that wakes him at the beginning looks like an archaeopteryx on steroids. While the sound effects kids have come to expect are present, their placement within the narrative will make it difficult for the easy audience participation that has become a hallmark of the franchise. Add art composed of out-of-focus figures in dull purples and greens, and the total's a roaring disappointment. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
