DINOS THAT DRIVE

Levinson double-dips, deftly combining vehicle obsession with dinosaur devotion.

This Triassic population inhabits a world of modern infrastructure. On the opening spread, set against a backdrop that hints equally at Manhattan and Seattle, extinct reptiles fill the highway in an assortment of cars and trucks (fuel tanker, steamroller, dump truck, ice cream vending van, pickup, race car, and more). Scenes subsequently shift from city to country, but dinosaurs at the wheel are a constant. Clever, varied verses set a jaunty beat while offering colorful commentary on the action, while speech-bubble dialogue between tiny Triceratops and Pterosaur (who wears cowboy boots) provides further dino facts. Buckle up for wordplay like “CAR-NIVORE” and a minor running joke about the unfamiliarity of animals that haven’t made it on the scene yet. Fossil fuel is presented as a no-no, and the periodic menace of T. rexends comically when he commits a parking violation. Finally, Levinson addresses the reptiles’ eventual disappearance by explaining that they traveled into space. Readers meet not only well-known dinos but also Trachodon, Aquilops (one of whom uses a wheelchair), Tuarangisaurus, and others, some using female pronouns. An unobtrusive pronunciation guide for each creature offers readers welcome help. The entertaining, Richard Scarry–inflected art is colorful and busy, with many small details repaying scrutiny—newspaper vending machines, volcanic explosions, and more—and driving youngsters to repeat reading.

A delightful combo of fun and facts about reptiles on the road.