Go! Go! Dino!

PreS-Gr 1--Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, T. rex, and many other species of dinosaurs decide to compete in a race. The "rolling reptiles" come wearing rollerblades, or on tricycles, bicycles, and scooters. A flying dinosaur with a whistle lets the dinos know it's time to line up and get ready; the whistle blows and the dinosaurs start down the track, each on wheels. While Brontosaurus stops to eat some plants, Stegosaurus speeds into first place. Then Brontosaurus decides to take a nap. But with so many small and gigantic dinosaurs speeding down the lane on wheels, it becomes a pileup when T. rex runs into the rest of the dinosaurs. Before they know it, they are all on the floor--except Stegosaurus, who speeds away to the finish line. Deciding that winning alone is no fun, Stegosaurus wheels back and carries the other dinosaurs to the finish line on his back. Brontosaurus wakes up just in time to cross the finish line with them, and the race is deemed a tie. With vibrant, colorful illustrations, this story teaches the valuable lesson that helping others when they're down is a good thing. VERDICT A delightful early reader, great for children's library collections.--Annmarie Braithwaite

This early reader follows four friendly-looking dinosaurs as they embark on a race. A unicycling T. rex, a skateboarding Brontosaurus, a roller-skating Stegosaurus, and a tricycle-riding Triceratops (of course)--all wearing helmets, some with kneepads--compete in a competition that might not be exactly fair but is clearly fun. Apparently unaware of the fable of "The Tortoise and the Hare," Brontosaurus stops off for a leafy lunch and then a nap. The race official, a whistle-wielding pterosaur, cries, "STOP! STOP! STOP!" but is unable to prevent a wildly pedaling T. rex from overrunning the smaller Triceratops. When their wheels bump, all three (awake) creatures land in a tangled heap. Momentarily, Stegosaurus has a free path to victory, but right before crossing the finish line, Stegosaurus thinks, "First is such a lonely place without friends to share the race" and turns around. The crash victims climb aboard Stegosaurus' back and finish the race together. Such generosity elicits rousing cheers from the dinosaur spectators. Their noise wakes Brontosaurus just in time for her stretched-neck finish. It's a four-way tie! Everyone is happy and eager to do it once again. The dinosaurs' whole world glows snow cone blue and raspberry. The big-eyed cartoon figures sport colorful shirts, scales, and goofy expressions. The compositions are dynamic, the pace is fast, and the rhythms and rhymes are faultless and funny. An irresistible, everyone-wins rhymefest. (Early reader. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.