A tongue-in-cheek tribute to the spirit, not to mention the occasionally life-saving value, of sharing.
A class outing to the deep past nearly ends in disaster after a flying reptile steals a student’s lunchbox.
Riding a next-generation version of the Magic School Bus that not only travels in time but also sprouts very tall legs when it arrives, the students and teacher are so enthralled by the prehistoric setting rolling past that they don’t notice when one child tumbles out. Fortunately, the peckish local dinosaurs prove more willing to feed on the reclaimed lunchbox’s contents than its owner—at least just long enough to allow a last-second rescue. Unlike the classic field trip led by Ms. Frizzle, this one is more recreational than informational in character, but young readers shouldn’t have much trouble either following the storyline or identifying the brightly hued, wide-eyed dinos chowing down on pretzels, pizza, and other culinary treats in Hare’s wordless scenes. The students, at first anonymously swaddled in body suits and dark glasses, reveal themselves to be a racially diverse bunch at the end as they walk off, generously passing items from their own lunches to their errant classmate. Fans of this tale should be sure to embark on other journeys with Hare; previous outings include Field Trip to the Moon (2019) and Field Trip to the Ocean Deep (2020).
A tongue-in-cheek tribute to the spirit, not to mention the occasionally life-saving value, of sharing. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780823459575
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
Wins for compassion and for the refusal to let physical limitations hold one back.
With such short arms, how can Tiny T. Rex give a sad friend a hug?
Fleck goes for cute in the simple, minimally detailed illustrations, drawing the diminutive theropod with a chubby turquoise body and little nubs for limbs under a massive, squared-off head. Impelled by the sight of stegosaurian buddy Pointy looking glum, little Tiny sets out to attempt the seemingly impossible, a comforting hug. Having made the rounds seeking advice—the dino’s pea-green dad recommends math; purple, New Age aunt offers cucumber juice (“That is disgusting”); red mom tells him that it’s OK not to be able to hug (“You are tiny, but your heart is big!”), and blue and yellow older sibs suggest practice—Tiny takes up the last as the most immediately useful notion. Unfortunately, the “tree” the little reptile tries to hug turns out to be a pterodactyl’s leg. “Now I am falling,” Tiny notes in the consistently self-referential narrative. “I should not have let go.” Fortunately, Tiny lands on Pointy’s head, and the proclamation that though Rexes’ hugs may be tiny, “I will do my very best because you are my very best friend” proves just the mood-lightening ticket. “Thank you, Tiny. That was the biggest hug ever.” Young audiences always find the “clueless grown-ups” trope a knee-slapper, the overall tone never turns preachy, and Tiny’s instinctive kindness definitely puts him at (gentle) odds with the dinky dino star of Bob Shea’s Dinosaur Vs. series.
Wins for compassion and for the refusal to let physical limitations hold one back. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7033-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A strong series start.
In a video game, a superpowered rabbit must rescue a singing dog that brings everyone happiness.
In the frame story, a brown-skinned human protagonist plays a video game on a handheld console evocative of the classic Nintendo Gameboy. The bulk of the book relates the game’s storyline: Animal Town is a peaceful place where everyone is delighted by Singing Dog, until the fun-hating King Viking (whose black-mustachioed, pink-skinned looks reference the Super Mario Brothers game series villain, Wario) uses his army of robots to abduct Singing Dog. To save Singing Dog—and fun—the animals send the fastest among them, Simon the Hedgehog, to get Super Rabbit Boy (who gains speed and jumping powers by eating special carrots) to save the day. The chapters take Super Rabbit Boy through video game levels, with classic, video game–style settings and enemies. Throughout the book, when the game’s player loses either a life in the game or the game entirely, the unnamed kid must choose to persevere and not give up. The storylines are differentiated by colorful art styles—cartoonish for the real world, 8-bit pixel-sprite–style for the game. The fast, repetitive plot uses basic, simple sentences and child-friendly objects of interest, such as lakes of lava, for children working on reading independence, while the nerdy in-jokes benefit adults reading with a child.
A strong series start. (Early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-03472-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Branches/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2016
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