The Dinosaurs Are Having a Party!

PreS-Gr 2—Jones's signature wit shines in this picture book that features an eager and unsuspecting young lad invited to the dinosaurs' dinner party. The "Special Guest" arrives wide-eyed and bow-tied with a gift and his canine companion, whose immediately wary expressions clue readers in to the trouble afoot. Amid party games, a bouncy castle, and an overflowing buffet table, the guest of honor naively wades through the gathering, even past Chef Alfonsaurus preparing the grill outside, with nary a clue of the fate about to befall him. When T. rex lets out a terrible roar that finally scares the boy off, the boy grabs a party bag on his way out, which turns out to be something else altogether, setting the stage for the tantalizing ending that raises the question "What next?" The rhyming text falters at times, but this does not detract from the fun. The playful use of fonts and text placement add to the party atmosphere. Details in the full-color, cartoon-style illustrations provide visual hints that establish the dinosaurs' intentions and add to the age-appropriate humor of this story.—Lynn Van Auken, Oak Bluffs School, Oak Bluffs, MA