11/01/2020
K-Gr 2—The dinosaurs speak to readers in this series, providing information in one or two sentences per page: "My horns are very useful. They are what makes me a Triceratops!" A realistic image of the creature appears on the opposite page. These are generally engaging though quite different from the cartoon style of the book covers. Visual comparisons to modern animals serve mainly as filler. At times the information is vague; for example, the stegosaurus says its plates "keep predators away," but then adds that they "may have been just for looks" and "are pretty cool." On some pages, a cartoon child dressed in safari gear asks questions to prompt reader interaction, though it's not always clear if it's the reader or the dinosaur that is being addressed. The children are drawn with pale, tan, and dark skin tones. VERDICT Consider other series to fill the need for dinosaur titles for new readers.
