Fast-paced and hilarious hijinks, with a lesson of inclusion.
Just whose book is this?
Pastel-clad princesses, parading against a backdrop of rainbows, crystals, and unicorns and other cute critters, contend for possession of this book with raging reptiles, rampaging amid exploding volcanoes and crashing meteors. “We eat princesses for breakfast,” declare the dinos. Damsels who vary in body size and skin tone, dressed in jewels, tiaras, and spectacles, confront grim, flame-streaked skies and toothy, snarling behemoths across alternate pages. It almost feels as though these two groups inhabit different books, but they trade nearly identically worded insults across the gutter (“Go suck an egg.” “No, YOU go suck an egg!”) and form separate but matching huddles to strategize. The dinos call in Dennis, a looming, toothy T. rex. But just as the Mesozoic monsters are triumphantly high-fiving, the princesses’ champion Shirley, an immense, fire-breathing purple dragon, flies dramatically across the page. Stalemate? Not at all! Subsequent events unfold at breakneck, satisfying speed as prima donnas and prehistoric beasts realize the error of their ways. Can’t dinosaurs wear ribbons and pearls? Couldn’t princesses ride a Parasaurolophus or sport a horned helmet? Isn’t it more fun to play together? The amusingly dissonant cartoon illustrations and saucy character comments (entirely in speech balloons) make for an absolute blast, with a clear yet never heavy-handed message of acceptance.
Fast-paced and hilarious hijinks, with a lesson of inclusion. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 9780735264298
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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