Review
A little red dinosaur takes on the world, from a pile of leaves ("ROAR!") to a big slide ("ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!") to a plate of spaghetti ("ROAR! CHOMP! CHOMP! ROAR! ROAR!"). The aftermath of each pitched battle is a satisfying "Dinosaur wins!" The child's-er, dinosaur's-ferocity and determination is evident in its huge mouthful of sharp white teeth and fierce, downward-slashing eyebrows (as well as in the book's bold page design). But-"now Dinosaur must face his biggest challenge! BEDTIME!" The outcome is predictable, as it should be, and the dinosaur's eventual succumbing is as much fun and provides as much opportunity for audience participation ("snore snore snore") as its earlier victories. Minimal text and backgrounds keep the focus squarely on the familiar activities and events of a preschooler's day and make the book ideal for active readers, whose approach to life will likely mirror this energetic, adorable (sorry, but check out those pajamas) little red dinosaur's. Horn Book"
An exuberant and determined little dinosaur faces up to a series of tests, including bath time, tooth-brushing and dinner, besting them all ("roar! roar! roar!") until in the final challenge he meets his match. In vibrant paint, ink and photo collage, the fearsome red dinosaur, with angry eyebrows and a gleeful grin, is a comical stand-in for any young would-be monster who has made up his or her mind and won't budge. But in the end, thankfully, "Bedtime wins. Good night, dinosaur." NYTBR"
No wonder the small but feisty red dinosaur depicted here faces his biggest challenge at bedtime. A supersize text of bold black letters announces: "ROAR! NOTHING CAN STOP ME!" as the youngster takes on everyday things in his world and wins, time and time again. "Dinosaur versus a BIG SLIDE! ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! DINOSAUR WINS!" Dinosaur leaps and runs off the simple but vivid backgrounds to face his next opponents "a bowl of spaghetti," "talking grown-ups," and a bath before succumbing to sleep. Illustrations with strong lines and bright colors keep the energy high without being cluttered. The predictable text and lively expressions of this cartoonlike character will appeal to kids who are on the go all day. Just don't expect them to go down quietly as they will be roaring right along with this little hero SLJ"
Roar! Roar! Nothing can stop a dinosaur. Whether our little dinosaur guy is facing off against a pile of leaves, a big slide, a bowl of spaghetti, or talking grown-ups, the result is always the same: "Dinosaur wins!" Dinosaur's biggest challenge, however, is bedtime, and when his roars diminish and turn into snores, it's clear that bedtime has bested him again. It's almost impossible to read this silently, so enticing is the sequence of roars and the Wrestlemania-style trouncing of adversaries, with page turns dramatically heralding each new opponent and every dinosaur victory. Visuals have the same vigor and joie de vivre as the text: Dinosaur, a fire-engine-red critter barely contained by solid, crayonesque lines, may be spicily clawed and pointy-teethed, but he's as much preschooler as he is stegosaurus with his bounce, sub-grownup size, stripy PJs, and bedtime wilting. Digital precision marries with retro styling in backgrounds of celery and harvest gold and touches of pattern, while interspersed photographic collage elements and big type, often in dramatic all-caps, add emphasis and interest. Young dinosaurs will soon join in gleefully on the roars and the repeated refrain, and sheer literary momentum may be enough to send listeners roaring off to bed along with Dinosaur. BCCB"
Shea (New Socks) makes a hilarious commentator as his hero, a small red dinosaur, elevates everyday encounters into a series of matches worthy of the WWF. "Dinosaur versus... a bowl of spaghetti!" announces Shea and, with a trio of bold typographic roars (and two chomps), the bowl is vanquished. "Dinosaur wins again!" declares Shea, as Dinosaur coolly acknowledges his triumph. Again and again, Dinosaur proves unbeatable-the foes he defeats include a pile of leaves, a big slide and "talking grown-ups"-but the title hints at his Achilles heel. Dinosaur may not resemble anything found in a paleontology textbook, but he's a terrific surrogate. Incorporating paper, paint, photo collage and quick strokes of crayon, Shea's freewheeling compositions convey both a beguiling spontaneity and a preschooler's sense of invincibility. Kids will be only too happy to capitulate to this irresistible package. PW"
With huge exclamations, broad, black crayon lines and vivid splashes of red, Shea portrays a roaring "dinosaur" savagely attacking a pile of leaves, a big slide, a bowl of spaghetti, talking grown-ups (seen only from knees down) and other unsuspecting targets, then swaggering away from each, crowing "DINOSAUR WINS AGAIN!" Bedtime, though, offers a far tougher challenge to the young wild thing-in no time the mighty roars have dialed down to a murmur (rendered typographically in smaller and smaller fonts) and a final "Bedtime wins. Good night, dinosaur." The toothy red dino bounces his way through mixed-media illustrations that combine photocollage (Dinosaur's mouth full of photographic spaghetti is a particular highlight) with a minimalist retro sensibility that puts Dinosaur where he belongs, always at the center of attention. As in his Big Plans! (2008), illustrated by Lane Smith, the author crafts a high-volume attention-grabber that will have audiences roaring along enthusiastically. Fine fare for No, David! fans. Kirkus"
About the Author
Bob Shea has created many hilarious books for young people, including Crash, Splash or Moo!, the popular Dinosaur Vs. series, Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great, Unicorn is Maybe Not so Great After All, and the early readers featuring Ballet Cat. He has also written stories such as Who Wet My Pants?, illustrated by Zachariah OHora. He lives in Madison, Connecticut and invites you to visit him at bobshea.com.
