The Girl and the Dinosaur

October 1, 2019
What would you do with a dinosaur? Young Marianne would share wondrous nighttime adventures. First, she'd dig up a dinosaur on a beach, assemble its bones, and wish it alive. She does so in this rhyming picture book while "fisherfolk" worry about her. For some adults, this "Marianne" who discovers a seaside dinosaur might conjure Mary Anning, the 19th-century English paleontologist. Like that scientist, the protagonist diligently arranges bones until her fossils take shape. Unlike Anning, Marianne names her discovery Bony, fervently wishing it to spring to life. The book then soars into the dream world; readers probably won't notice or mind the disconnect. Bony, a smiling, green-scaled apatosaurus look-alike, swims and flies with Marianne into magical lands where they meet fanciful beings and discover a "magical moonlit island" filled with diverse children and their fantasy dinos. (Marianne presents white.) Since all this happens before these children go to sleep, what will they possibly dream about after? The ending finds the story back at the beach, the residents now unconcerned, and the kids digging for dinosaurs--and holding fast to their nighttime secrets. The verses in this cheerful dreamscape mostly read and scan rhythmically, but some are clunky. The scribbly illustrations, dominated by pale greens, teals, and sandy yellow and punctuated by Marianne's red mop, are lively and atmospheric. Kids will appreciate the silver-foil patches on the book cover's round moon. Dreamy dinosaur doings. (Picture book. 3-6)

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December 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-Young Marianne digs for bones on the beach, despite her elders' concerns about her solitude. "She needs to find some friends," they say," and let those old bones be." She discovers and assembles a "beastie," a long-necked dinosaur who fulfills her bedtime wish on a starry night and comes to life. They set off on a series of fanciful adventures, including bobbing with boats on the sea and cavorting with fairies and unicorns in woodlands. Finally, they discover a cloud island where children romp with friendly dinosaurs from their own dreams. At dawn, Marianne returns to the beach, where she is joined by a half dozen children digging in the sand. Hughes' fluid rhymes soothe with gentle gerunds. Massini's muted colors for the dream sequences match the story well, and make the heroine's carrot-top blaze even brighter. VERDICT The balance of adventure and whimsy expressed in text and watercolor collages creates a pleasing bedtime tale.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2019
Preschool-G Young Marianne is determined to dig up a dinosaur. Armed with her trusty shovel and ignoring the skeptical fisherfolk, she begins searching the beach sands. Her persistence pays off when she uncovers a skeleton, but nighttime is coming, so she promises Bony that she'll return in the morning. As she drifts off to sleep, Marianne makes a wish for her dinosaur to come to life. Next thing she knows, Bony is tapping on her window and inviting her out to play. The rest of the gentle story follows the unlikely pair on their travels through dreamland, eventually joining up with all the other dreaming children and their respective dinosaur friends. Sweet rhymes make for a tranquil bedtime book, and the alluring watercolor-and-pencil illustrations create a warm world where imaginative children and their adorable dinosaurs can roam. The detailed drawings add depth to the simple story, from the dino-decorated bedroom to the carousel on the seaside pier. Dinosaur-lovers will go to bed hoping to dream of their own favorite prehistoric creatures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)