Dino-Racing

September 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-From drag to off-road to stock-car racing, Wheeler's dinos traverse the circuits, as herbivores and carnivores compete in rhyme time. Gott's bright stylistic art depicts the fierce contests and reflects insider humor as his racers zoom around Pangaea Speedway, flaunting sponsorship logos from Plantzoil, Scale Brite, and Primordial Soup. Happy readers and read-tos will pick up a few racing tips in this zippy entry into a series including Dino-Swimming and Dino-Boarding. And, oh yes, break out your toe-taps and your tutus-this one ends with a teaser for the next episode in the dino-sport lexicon: Dino-Dancing! VERDICT Colorful rhyming fun for car lovers, racing aficionados, and dinophiles.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016
Preschool-G This action-packed book combines twin obsessions for many children: dinosaurs and race cars. Readers follow the dino racers into the pits as they compete against each other in a series of thrilling, high-speed events, in front of a dinosaur audience whose spikes, long necks and tails, and sheer bulk add to the drama. Three separate races are presented in fascinating detail. First, Allo and Stego compete in a quarter-mile drag race. Next, a three-day off-road race kicks up plenty of dust. And lastly, vehicles line the track for a stock-car race. Gott's digital illustrations explode off the page while rewarding observant readers with many inside jokes for dinosaur-lovers. Race-car driving comes alive with scenes of dinosaurs tailgating, surging into the stadium, working in pit crews, and parading to the start of the stock-car race. Car-crazy kids will also drool over the flashy race cars. Simple, rhymed couplets underscore the story's action. Check out this team's other dino-sports books, including Dino-Boarding (2014) and Dino-Swimming (2015).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017
This time the team that brought you Dino-Boarding, Dino-Swimming, and other non-nutritive reads puts the pedal to the metal ("Raptor hits the rhythm section, / glad his ride has good suspension"). Since the dino racers are given equal attention, it's not clear if readers will be invested in who wins, but the rat-a-tat rhymes and slick-as-a-new-car illustrations may be all they need.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)