Pakkun the Wolf and His Dinosaur Friends

K-Gr 3—In the topsy-turvy world of Pakkun the Wolf and his friends, the Land of Dinosaurs is a place below the world's surface, and a quick tumble takes Pakkun there (and back again). When one of Mrs. Hen's eggs rolls out of the nest, Pakkun offers to find it and tumbles head-over-heels through a cave-filled passageway. In the Land of Dinosaurs, he meets a new friend, Ptera, a pteranodon, who offers to help. They travel through deserts and oceans, past jungles and smoking volcanoes. At one point, Ptera's mother offers them a ride on her back. They meet a tyrannosaurus and an "always hungry" creature called Karaurus; Pakkun bares elongated fangs and scares him away. Long-necked Mrs. Saurapod suggests they try the Valley of Dinosaur Eggs, and there they find the tiny egg among many others. All of the eggs hatch, and Pakkun takes Mrs. Hen's chick home. Kimura's cartoon illustrations abound with whimsical details. Small, brown-furred Pakkun resembles a dog with a wide tuft of hair, close-set eyes, and large whiskery snout. Other animals including Mrs. Hen and Ptera, have large googly eyes. Even the fiercest animals are helpful: "Mr. T-Rex" interrupts his fight with a duck-billed dinosaur to respond politely to Ptera and Pakkun's inquiry.