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"This starter guide will come in handy, whether kids are in the market for a new fantasy pet or just a fun read-aloud. Divided into helpful sections, it begins with "Choosing the right dinosaur for you," with
recommendations on breeds for various needs. Looking for something with horns to play ring toss? Try the triceratops. Desperate for wings and long, broccoli-removing fingers? A pteranodon is the way to go. Then
you'll need supplies of course, like a "looooooooooooong leash" and lots of food. Also provided are ideas
for teaching tricks like sit and stay (good luck!), bathing (a car wash is your best bet), going to the vet
(please call ahead), and traveling (just charter a quetzalcoatlus). Perfect for kids who have just outgrown
Jane Yolen and Mark Teague's dinosaur books, this features funny, colorful illustrations, created using
monoprinting techniques, of multicultural kids cavorting with their prehistoric pals. Youngsters will
quickly become absorbed in this enjoyable mix of facts, fantasy, and fossils."
—Andrew Medlar, Booklist (Oct.)
"Expanding on the principle that there's "a dino for every kid," Rennert introduces a handful of dinosaurs, then offers useful general advice for new owners about care, feeding and elementary training. Using just as broad a brush for the art, Brown offers bright, splotchy monoprint scenes of smiling young folk turning their equally happy-looking prehistoric pets into a water slide or roller coaster, taking them to a beach and ballgame or just generally frolicking about. Under the descriptive label "Spiny," the Spinosaurus receives this gloss: "Although she's the perfect buddy all year round, [she] is a great warm-weather dino." The illustration depicts a smiling dino, purple flowers dotting its tan hide, while a trio of kids enjoys the shade of its sail at the beach. From dino descriptions to basic commands—"STAY (Ha!)"—to exercising your dino and taking it to school, it's a cheery descendant of Bernard Most's classic If the Dinosaurs Came Back (1978), done in brighter colors and with a more contemporary look. (Picture book. 5-7)"
—Kirkus Review (Sep.)
"K-Gr 3. The opening spread, filled with smiling dinosaurs and children's faces, sets the tone for this tongue-in-cheek guide: "There is a dino for every kid, and a kid for every dino." The ensuing, satisfyingly large spreads focus on qualities readers may be looking for in a pet and the dinosaurs that best meet those needs. Children in the market for a winged dino will learn that the Pteranodon (pronunciation guide included) will help them catch fly balls at the baseball stadium and has a "long fourth finger perfect for removing unnecessary broccoli from dinner plates." After a tour of five popular varieties, advice is offered on keeping a pet comfortable, clean, and obedient—well, not very obedient. There are recommendations on exercising and traveling with a dino and suggestions about when to take one to school. While the book's approach is best for a kindergarten audience, the snarky, ironic tone is more suited to an older audience. Brown helps the cause with vivid monoprint with gouache artwork—some of his best illustrations to date. His overly enthusiastic, sweet-faced, humongous patterned dinosaurs are—in defiance of natural history—irresistibly delicious."
—School Library Journal (Oct.)
'Tis the season to encourage children to read
Local authors top the list of terrific new books for kids of all ages:
"Kids love dinosaurs. Yet with 16,000 dinosaur books already on the market, is there any need for a new one? Yep, when it's as clever and eye-poppingly colorful as this, by Palo Alto author Laura Rennert, illustrated by Marc Brown ("Arthur"). All the popular dinosaur species are described according to their attributes as household pets. There are tips on purchasing a dino and traveling with one. And for playing—because as all kids know, 'Dinos are for fun!'"
—Debbie Duncan, Palo Alto Weekly
"The warm, witty Buying, Training & Caring for Your Dinosaur (Knopf Delacorte Dell; $16.99) apes a training manual for kids who have a new "little" friend as a pet. A triceratop's horns come in handy for cutting the cake at birthday parties, author Laura Joy Rennert advises, and obedience school is a must for your new T. rex. Rennert mixes in dino lore with her fanciful instructions ("Your 'new' dino has been around for millions of years. Some of his habits may be hard to change. But you can try."), making this a little more substantial than just a literary lark.
Illustrator Marc Brown, the creator of the Arthur books that inspired the PBS show of the same name, experimented with a new technique for the book's illustrations—monoprinting, a printmaking style that creates singular images more like paintings. Vibrant color choices keep the mood light, as befits the concept: After all, it's not every dinosaur book that reminds us about pteranodon's long fourth finger, which is 'perfect for removing unnecessary broccoli from dinner plates.'" (Ages 5-8)
—Sharyn Vane, Austin American-Statesman
"Written as a faux guidebook to having a dinosaur as a pet, "Buying, Training & Caring for Your Dinosaur" is fresh, fun and full of kid appeal.
Laura Joy Rennert opens the story with an inviting welcome to children: "There is a dino for every kid, and a kid for every dino. This guide will help you discover the right one for you."
Imaginations will run wild as children think about the many essentials involved in owning and caring for a dinosaur—feeding, bathing, exercising, going to school, traveling, visiting the vet and more.
In an entertaining voice, Rennert offers tips and recommendations for caring for this new pet and best friend: "Some moms get unhappy when bathwater runs out of the bathtub. Into the hall. And down the stairs. If this sounds like your mom, take Dino to the car wash instead."
Ages 5-8.
—The Edmond Sun
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