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SAMANTHASAURUS REX

Name: SAMANTHASAURUS REX
Author: B.B. Mandell
ISBN: 978-0-06-234873-9

by B.B. Mandell ; illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2016

Skip this one, and choose instead something featuring both a strong, resourceful girl and a story worthy of her.

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A plucky dinosaur uses her brains and creativity to save her family from a fiery volcano.

Samanthasaurus Rex is on the quirky side, for a dinosaur. Her family members want her to be strong, to lead, and to make lots of noise, but she prefers painting animals over chasing them, sorting bones over gnawing on them, and using her words over biting and fighting. When the family goes for a hike, instead of whacking branches, scouting trails, and stomping out geysers, Samanthasaurus weaves ferns to make a rope, collects rocks, and uses a diamond to harness energy. The little dinosaur soon discovers that the mountain they are climbing is actually a volcano, and, predictably, she uses her rope, her diamond, and her loudest roar to save her oblivious family and get them back to safety. The detailed illustrations flesh out the otherwise sparse and stilted narrative, depicting Samanthasaurus (pink, natch) carrying a stack of books and teaching a class, for example. All told, the message here is a positive one about valuing all types of interests and leadership styles. Unfortunately, though, it suffocates this effort, leaving the characters and plot with no spark of life or sense of authenticity.

Skip this one, and choose instead something featuring both a strong, resourceful girl and a story worthy of her. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: May 3, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234873-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S DINOSAURS & PREHISTORIC CREATURES | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.

Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)