How do dinosaurs choose their pets?

Face it: when you think about dinosaurs and other animals, you think predator-prey, no?Not necessarily, according to Yolen and Teagues latest entry in their popular How Do Dinosaurs? series. Clearly saurians appreciate pets as much as, er, anyoneand this endearing installment attempts to shed light on how they select them. Considering what a dino could choosea tiger, for instance (the one on the cover and in an interior illustration looks none too thrilled)your everyday adorable kitty, pup, or hamster sounds just right. Speaking of just right, readers learn that dinos know the proper protocol for pet selectionnever from a zoo but, rather, from a shelter, pet store, or farm. Wherever the pet comes from, loving care is what counts most. Yolens rhymes are jaunty, and, as always, Teague has a field day. His illustrations highlight the unbridled joy these vibrantly colored, lesser-known species of dinos (labeled in illustrations and on endpapers) have playing with a variety of creatures, and the artist has a dino-sized blast playing with perspective and spatial relationships. Interestingly, animals of the canine and feline varieties, rendered tiny of necessity, seem nonplussed by the generally enormous dinosaurs and, potential and current pet guardian-readers will be happy to note, take to TLC with devoted face licks, despite size differentials. Human figures are depicted with a variety of skin tones and ages. Mammoth fun for dinosaur and pet lovers alike. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.