Drew Shenemen has written a couple quite funny picture books and now he turns his cartoonist's pen to dinosaurs. A T-Rex with a fluffy mane of feathers peers at the title, saying "that's a relief." but is warned by a plump white chicken with massive wattles, "You should probably read the book first."
A simple time line of dinosaurs follows, illustrated by bug-eyed dinosaurs, including the maned T-rex and with Shenemen's dry delivery. Readers follow the brief, humorous text as the Cretaceous period ends and a frantic red, chicken-like bird dashes through the fires of disaster shrieking "Somebody call 911! Wait... Somebody invent 911!"
These smaller, more adaptable animals survive and dinosaurs continue to exist - as birds! The story expands into an exploration of birds, their relationship to dinosaurs, and their current ubiquity. The book ends with a spread mixing dinosaurs with fantastic feathered details, eye to eye with modern birds. There is a timeline of avian history, from early birds in the Jurassic to modern birds. At the end, we see the fluffy T-rex and plump chicken for one last joke.
This isn't a research book, although it uses precise terms and titles and includes a lot of information. It's not a read-aloud, especially for younger kids, because of the lengthier text. However, it's just perfect for a class read-aloud or a one-on-one discussion with dinosaur fans who can sit still for the longer, more complex text, nicely broken up by the humorous cartoons and asides. My only quibble is the small, light font used for the text which makes it a little difficult to read.
Verdict: A strong addition to your intermediate dinosaur offerings, sure to be popular with elementary age kids especially.
ISBN: 9780062972347; Published October 2020 by HarperCollins; Purchased for the library
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