When Dinosaurs Came with Everything

PreS-Gr 2—Another boring errand day begins…or does it? A boy accompanies his mom to the bakery, the barber, and the doctor on a typical day in suburbia. He's astonished to discover that today, instead of a free cookie, balloon, or sticker with purchase, he gets a dinosaur! With that premise, the everyday becomes crazily humorous, especially with Elise Broach's imaginative and inventive text (Atheneum, 2007) and the comic wit of David Small's watercolor illustrations. Only in their warped world could you "Buy a dozen doughnuts and get a dinosaur!" The multicolored dinosaurs playing in the boy's backyard are "the child's dream come true and the mom's worst nightmare" until she finds a way to use the giant beasts to help with the chores. This creative book gets a somewhat unimaginative iconographic treatment with flat-pan visuals of the pages. It deserves snazzy effects, animation, and the bells and whistles that can translate the original work into an even richer visual experience. Scott Nilsen tries to voice the humor that is inherent in the story, but the wit doesn't shine in its journey from the printed page to the screen. Teachers will find the conversations with the author and illustrator helpful and the pre- and post-viewing questions useful to inspire students to create their own stories.—Lonna Pierce, MacArthur Elementary School, Binghamton, NY