THE GREAT DINOSAUR SLEEPOVER

An unavoidable disappointment becomes a marvelous Mesozoic memory.

Jake plans his whole birthday party around his obsession with dinosaurs: “dino games, dino balloons, dino cake. Dino everything!” But when his flu-stricken guests cancel, that “STUPENDOUS” sleepover must be rescheduled. Jake sadly goes to bed in his dino-themed room—until a snort in the night awakens him. Instead of his three friends, a trio of prehistoric pals are snacking in front of his TV. He’s stunned, but, ever the expert, he still easily identifies them: Dryosaurus, Leptoceratops, and Pachycephalosaurus. He squashes in among them to watch the movie and eat cheese curls. The party is a roaring success as Jake teaches the friendly but clueless reptiles how to play games (except pin-the-tail-on-the-dinosaur; they’re afraid of getting pricked). The party spills out into the yard and then the neighborhood as more dino guests arrive; they then visit each of the sick kids. Carnivorous T. rex hasn’t been invited—but of course she quietly shows up, shyly admitting that she’s often overlooked. Grateful to be included, she plays goalie in a climactic soccer game, which is dubbed “STUPENDOUS.” Was it all a dream? The final page is convincingly conclusive, even for skeptical adults. In the ebullient, realistic illustrations, the dinosaurs are striped and spotted; Jake’s light-skinned, and his human pals vary in skin tone. The night atmosphere is enthrallingly dim and star-spangled, and Jake’s emotions are compellingly conveyed.

Van Allsburg–like magic infuses this fantastic tale.