Digging for dinos

After playing pirates in Haggis and Tank Unleashed (2015), the dog pals are back for another exciting, imaginative playtime adventure. Ever proper Scottie dog Haggis enjoys starting his day by trimming his mustache and polishing his dog tag; meanwhile, Tank, a Great Dane, happily reads her dinosaur book. Discovering their backyard was once a dinosaur habitat, Tank enthusiastically begins excavating. Though the venture is initially disappointing Haggis won't help, and Tank only finds an old tennis ball eventually, after Tank's coaxing, both don expedition gear and travel to dinosaur days. Their dino search turns eventful after encountering enormous footprints, dinosaur eggs (which they try to help hatch), and a not-so-friendly triceratops, which unexpectedly becomes a playmate. But when a fearsome T. rex and erupting volcano appear on the scene, they are sent scattering. Thankfully, just when things seem most dire, the forest morphs back into more familiar and safer terrain. The narrative's simply constructed sentences describe events, while the colorful comics panels, lively dialogue in word balloons, and amusing commentary and wordplay further extend the story and add fun detail. Once again, the delightful pooch duo shines in this entertaining, fast-paced, and fun read.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2016 Booklist

If Abbot and Costello were rendered canine (and alive) they might well resemble this intrepid, dino-hunting doggie duo. Tank, a Great Dane with a nose for excitement, and Haggis, her smaller, saner Scottish terrier companion, are pulled into another adventure thanks to a book on dinosaurs. As in their previous imaginative outing (All Paws on Deck, 2015), Tank is the instigator, hoping to find any dinos that might be hiding nearby. And for all that he fusses and moans, Haggis is just as game to play pretend as his stalwart, oversized companion. As before, the action largely takes place in graphic panels featuring dialogue bubbles, lightly stitched together by brief sentences of exposition. Engaging in homophone-heavy dialogue (Haggis: "You never know" Tank: "Actually, I no a lot! In fact, I no as much as I yes") and featuring the same dramatic beats as its predecessor (including the last-minute save by their owner, oblivious to her pets' overactive fantasies), this latest walk on the wild side will please the pair's fans, though it won't offer them anything particularly new. That said, the wordplay is lively, gently challenging new readers with its snappy dialogue that sometimes requires multiple reads. This sequel is far from a dinosnore; here's to joining these two pals on all their future adventures. (Graphic/fantasy hybrid. 6-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.