My first pop-up dinosaurs

PreS-Gr 2-Perfectly sized for small hands, this fun-to-browse volume blends eye-catching illustrations and sturdy paper engineering to introduce 15 dinosaurs and prehistoric reptiles. Presented in warm earth hues and understated geometric designs, each stylized creature poses, prances, soars, or swims against mostly clean backdrops that provide color contrast and minimal detail. The pop-up element adds interest and sometimes indicates way of life: a Brachiosaurus lifts its long neck to stretch far above the book's upper horizon; several smaller-size coelophysis scuttle across the pages; a tyrannosaurus bares its teeth from center spread; an oviraptor raises feathered wings; an elasmosaurus gracefully dips its neck up and down (its ocean environment is indicated by wavy lines in the background); and one pachycephalosaurs butts its domed head in the direction of another. The only text is the species name and a helpful phonetic pronunciation guide. VERDICT This handsome offering makes an inviting first stop for young dinophiles, who will be inspired to dig deeper and learn more.-Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A low-key 3-D portrait gallery of dinos and prehistoric reptiles.Showing considerable improvement over the lackadaisically designed dinos he made for Sheri Safran's Dinosaurs! (2015), the 15 models that paper engineer Hawcock presents here sport natural-looking parts and poses. Some, such as a marine Elasmosaurus raising its sinuous neck as the spread opens and T. Rex flashing its toothy dentifrice directly at viewers, even offer realistic movement. Other effects include a Brachiosaurus that sticks its head up high above the top of the book (it will surely be the first to tear off) and a small flock of Coelophysis that race along at three levels of depth. Illustrator Davey kits nearly all out in brightly contrasting skin patterns or dramatic sprays of feathers, and he places each against plain or minimally detailed backgrounds to make shapes and colors pop. He sticks to mostly subdued earth or marine toneseven the turkeylike Oviraptor sports fairly staid plumage. Aside from polysyllabic one-word labels in big type with pronunciation guides beneath, there is no text.Fine fare for younger dinophiles alone, one-on-one, or in herds. (Novelty picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.