TINY DINO

Who’s a tiny dinosaur? You’ll be surprised.

“I’m a DINOSAUR!” proclaims a hummingbird proudly. A turtle points out that dinosaurs had huge feet that “stomped and clomped.” The hummingbird responds, “Look at my toes! They are just like T. rex! I’m a dinosaur!” The background illustration shows T. rex toes and a close-up of hummingbird toes with the caption “Four toes, three forward-facing.” A frog notes that dinosaurs had huge bones, but the hummingbird replies that many dinosaur bones were hollow, just like hummingbird bones. A shrew joins the chorus of naysayers and argues that dinosaurs were fierce. “I am FIERCE!” says the hummingbird. And when a crocodile sticks its head in to ask if it heard correctly “that dinosaurs still roam the earth,” the hummingbird proves its fierceness by standing firm. Then the little bird discusses the similarities between itself and the crocodile; they are cousins. It has finally convinced the other animals. Freedman’s main text is entirely in speech bubbles, and as the animals converse, supporting facts and diagrams appear in the background. Her usual stunning watercolors are splats and spatters of bright color that follow the mood of the taxonomic debate. Though the exchanges are humorous, Freedman also folds in lessons on both science and the dangers of assumptions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An innovative introduction to the relatedness of all animals that will delight budding biologists and dino mavens alike.