Good Intentions Go a Long WAY! Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman

Little T. Rex is feeling blue, and not just because his skin is naturally baby blue. He's blue because his friend Pointy is very sad and needs a hug, and Tiny T. Rex's arms are way too short to deliver a big hug.

POINTY NEEDS ME!

Tiny T. Rex asks his family for help. But his dad, as mathematicians often do, turns his question into a mathematical equation!

POINTY DOESN'T LIKE MATH.

Mother counsels that it's not how long his arms are, but what's in his heart.

AUNTIE SUGGESTS CUCUMBER JUICE.

Tiny T. Rex's brother and sister say he needs to practice more.

.

"I WILL PLAN MY STRATEGY," TINY T. SAID. "I WILL PRACTICE MY HUGS."

Tiny T. Rex looked around for something to practice hugging. Perhaps a tree would work. He spots something tall and green with big arms.

It is a...

CACTUS!

Not a smart strategy, considering that the spines are quite sharp!

Tiny T. decides he need some altitude to spot a more suitable tree for hugging, so he hops on a flying dinosaur, but soon slides off, sailing down, down, down, until...

CONK! He lands right on top of Pointy's head and holds on tight.

"THAT WAS THE BIGGEST HUG EVER!"" SAYS POINTY.

It seems Mother was right. It's not the size of the hugger, but the size of his heart, in Jonathan Stutzman's Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug (Chronicle Books).

As illustrated sweetly by artist Jay Fleck, Tiny T., this diminutive dinosaur certainly has plenty of heart, in author Jonathan Stutzman's book in his popular Tiny T. Rex series, starring as its undeniably charming and cuddly little hero. Other books in this series are Tiny T. Rex and the Perfect Valentine, Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark: (Read-Aloud Family Books, Dinosaurs Kids Book About Fear of Darkness), and Tiny T. Rex and the Tricks of Treating.

Dream Big! Brontorina by James Howe

Brontorina had a dream.

"I WANT TO DANCE! IN MY HEART, I AM A BALLERINA!"

It's no surprise that Madame Lucille, owner and operator, and her ballet-slipper-shod little students are astounded, standing on the stairs of Madame Lucille's Dance Academy and gaping at the would-be pupil presenting herself as a potential danseuse. After all, Brontorina is a big orange brontosaurus, and moreover, as one little pupil points out...

"SHE DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT SHOES!"

Clara and Jack insist that she be given a chance. Madame Lucille is a noted dance instructor, but she's never taught a dinosaur. Nonetheless, with the boys and girls in the class keeping a safe distance, at the next lesson she welcomes the eager Brontorina inside her studio, politely asking her large pupil not to squash the others. Madame Lucille orders her somewhat appalled pianist to play for the lesson and leads the troup through their warmup moves:

"PLIE!"

Brontorina's plie is perfect! But her RELEVE', while done with elegant form, forces her head through the ceiling. Her ARABESQUE is daintily done, but her JETE' rips a long rift through the roof!

"WHAT A GRACEFUL DANCER YOU ARE, MY DEAR! BUT I AM AFRAID YOU ARE TO0 BIG!"

But Clara insists that her mother has been making something for Brontorina, and at the next lesson she brings Brontorina a pair of beautiful Size XXXXX ballet slippers. Brontorina is thrilled, but then admits that perhaps she is just too big for Madame Lucille's Dance Academy.

"FIDDLESTICKS!! THE PROBLEM IS NOT THAT YOU ARE TOO BIG!

"THE PROBLEM IS THAT MY STUDIO IS TOO SMALL."

And soon the class is back in session with a new location (a pasture) and a new sign--

MADAME LUCILLE'S OUTDOOR DANCE STUDIO~~BOYS, GIRLS, DINOSAURS!

And soon all the young danseurs and danseuses are ready to execute a grand tours jete, in the famed children's author, James Howe's, Brontorina (Candlewick Press). James Howe, the prolific master of droll children's stories with the appropriately whimsical illustrations of artist Randy Cecil, which encourage young readers to think "big''-- and outside the box!

"Text and illustrations work beautifully together in this witty fantasy. . . ." says Booklist in a starred review.

Dinos Do Dinner! Dino Thanksgiving by Lisa Wheeler

Nobody enjoys a big festive feed of a savory meal more than dinosaurs, and nobody can gobble the roasted gobbler at their family Thanksgiving better than a bunch of prehistoric feasters!

T REX WAKES AT THE CRACK OF DAWN.

IT'S TIME TO PUT THE TURKEY ON!

HE TAKES THE BIRD OUT OF THE BRINE,

SEASONS IT WITH SAGE AND THYME.

IT WON'T BE DONE TILL FIVE,

BUT AT NOON THE GUESTS BEGIN TO ARRIVE.

And into T Rex's house living room they crowd to find a seat, with Compy pleading, "When do we eat?"

The TV is on for the big parade, and then the big championship game is played. The kids head out for the flag football craze. The younger ones race through the neighborhood maze.

But Compy has that plea he can't forget!

"I'M HUNGRY! IS IT TIME TO EAT YET?"

In the kitchen there's shredding and chopping and a big saute'. There's turkey gravy and all the vegetable trimmings on the way. And at last there's a feast for the veggie-saurs and the carni-saurs! Dinner's a hit! T Rex roars...

"COME AND GET IT!"

Family and friends chow down im Lisa Wheeler's Dino-Thanksgiving (Dino-Holidays) (CarolRhoda Books, 2020). Lisa Wheeler is the perfect mistress of rhyming stories, and with the wild and bright illustrations of Barry Gott, this one is a jolly holiday companion to her other DINO tales, and just right to get kids in the mood for the winter holidays with Wheeler and Gott's Dino-Christmas (Dino-Holidays)

Says Publishers Weekly, "... this glimpse of prehistoric reptiles giving thanks should entertain young dinosaur fans."

Things That Go Bump...: Tiny T. Rex And The Very Dark Dark by Jonathan Stutzman

WHEN I AM INSIDE, THE DARK DOESN'T SEEM SO DARK.

OUTSIDE THE DARK IS VERY VERY DARK. THERE ARE NO NIGHTY LIGHTS TO TURN ON.

AND WHEN THERE ARE NO NIGHTY LIGHTS TO TURN ON, THE GRUMBLES AND NOMBIES COME OUT.

Tiny T. Rex and his brother Pointy are new to this sleeping out business. Mom had told them that if they were brave, they would find a light out there somewhere, but they are not so sure about that.

Is there light inside the stomachs of the Crawly-Creeps? Yikes! They need a plan.

While Dad in his chair is nodding over his newspaper, they sneak back inside and get a string of Christmas lights out of the closet. They hustle back out, put up a tablecloth tent, hang up lights all over the backyard trees, and huddle together, hoping their PLAN works.

WE HAVE MADE A SUPER-BRIGHT NIGHTY LIGHT!

But even Dad's snoring and Mom's crunching a celery snack inside sound like the Crawly Creeps and the Grumbles and Nombies coming after them. Are they brave enough to huddle together and look around for those lights Mom promised?

And the two little dino brothers discover that Mom was right. The stars always come out and the moon always rises, in Jonathan Stutzman's not-too-scary scary story about the things that don't quite go bump in the night, Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark: (Read-Aloud Family Books, Dinosaurs Kids Book About Fear of Darkness) (Chronicle Books, 2020).

Author Jonathan Stutzman's text builds tension cleverly as illustrator Jay Fleck's adorable T-Rex brothers, Pointy and the wee Tiny T., tough it out and fight the fright in their first night sleepout, and young readers will be find reassurance as well.

Share this one during the scary season with Stutzman and Fleck's just published Tiny T. Rex and the Tricks of Treating (Chronicle Books, 2021).

Dino Etiquette: How Do Dinosaurs Show Good Manners by Jane Yolen

Some dinosaurs have manners--BAD MANNERS!

Do they belch loudly at the table and throw food at each other,or spit half-chewed broccoli on the floor?

At the library, do they yell and throw books around the stacks?

On the playground, do they push each other off the top of the tallest slide? Do they sass their mothers when they're caught making mudpies in the bathtub?

NO! THEY DON'T!

THEY'RE NEVER THAT CRUDE,

AND TRY NOT TO BE RUDE!

Dinosaurs are the very picture of politeness and the essence of etiquette.

They always say "Please" and "Can I help you with that?" "You can go first. I can wait till you're done." They share toys at play and when they go, say, "Thanks, everyone!"

GOOD MANNERS GALORE, MY POLITE DINOSAUR!

Heaven knows, dinosaurs and kids need to mind their manners wherever they go, in the latest in their best selling series, How Do Dinosaurs Show Good Manners? (Blue Sky Press, 2020). With the Caldecott-winning artist Mark Teague on board with his jolly illustrations of human parents and assorted recalcitrant dino offspring, kids are off for a rhyming good time from notable author Jane Yolen. As always, illustrator Teague uses a variety of esoteric dinosaur "children" just for those geeky youngsters who pride themselves as experts at spotting various species of large prehistoric beasts to add to their paleontological vocabularies. (See the backmatter for dinosaur names in order of appearance)

Apex Predator In Training: Regina Is NOT a Little Dinosaur by Andrea Zuill

Mama Raptor is off on her daily prowl to bring home the groceries for her little Regina, and with a kiss and nose bump, she tells her youngster to stay in the nest.

"BE MAMA'S GOOD LITTLE CARNIVORE," SHE SAYS.

But Regina has faith in her predator powers. She's good at camouflage and has an uproarious ROAR! As soon as Mama is out of sight, she sets out to prove her hunting skills. Soon she spots something long and pointy and not too big in the undergrowth. She goes for it with her biggest CHOMP!

OUCH! ROARS A FULL-GROWN TRICEROTOPS ON THE OTHER END OF THAT TAIL. OOPS!

"SORRY ABOUT THAT!" SAYS REGINA.

After taking a short nap, she waits for more promising prey, until she spots the tail of a big ankylosaur as he grazes happily. Her first great predatory leap doesn't get her very far up the tail, so she chooses stealth. Sneaking up onto its back, she takes a fierce bite of one of its armor plates, but it proves too tough for her little fangs!

"SORRY KID," HE LAUGHS. "THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK!"

Whoa. Has our mighty predator bitten off more than she can chew???

WHAT IF SHE HAS TO SPEND HER LIFE AS (gasp!) ... A HERBIVORE?

But, LOOK! There something with silky hair on his back and tail. He looks tender! But he seems to think SHE is HIS dinner. It's the latest clash of the titans--dino vs. toothed mammal! YIKES!

Being an apex predator in training is no walk in the park for little Regina, in Andrea Zuill's latest humorous picture book, Regina Is NOT a Little Dinosaur (Schwartz and Wade, 2021). There a sweetness in the little predator's cheerful tries to live up to the expectation of her species, which, along with the loving relationship with Mama Dino, makes this funny story of a baby dinosaur whose toothy mama arrives just in time. This one aptly shows off this author-illustrator's skill in creating books for young readers. Little Regina's relieved and hearty "HI, MOM!" speaks volumes about mothers and daughters.

Writes Booklist, “Regina’s expressions are priceless… her emotive eyes flashing with glee, rage, or panic in turn. Young readers (and their adults) will laugh out loud at the relatable protagonist and her adorable antics.”

Other insightful and funny stories by Andrea Zuill include her first book, Wolf Camp (see my review here) and her latest hit, Sweety.

Noisy Prehistory! Dinosong by Tim McCanna

Three little dinosaurs are on their own in a shifting, shaking landscape that is still shaping itself. And it is a noisy, unstable world!

Rocks break off from cliffs and fall with frightening frequency! Three little dinosaurs--Ankylosaurus, Tricerotops, and Sauropod--join together as they dodge boulders that bound down hillsides and dodge and weave to miss the missiles.

WHACK! SMACK!

Joining forces, they three flee, to tromp, and leap, as the rocks fly. And if that is not enough, volcanoes bubble and spit up bits and shards of molten matter:

QUAKE! SHAKE!

The three little dinos hear the rumble and try to take shelter in a cave, with many a slip and a stumble along through the rubble. Finally they come to a quiet undergroud lake.

SIP! SLURP!

And when the eruption is done, Ankylsaurus, Tricerotops, and Sauropod emerge from their cave to find a changed world, a re-arranged world, that is their new world, in Tim McCanna's just-published Dinosong (Simon and Schuster, 2020). It's an ocean of onomatopoeia (words that sound like what they are), many of them rhyming pairs, that make for a lot of fun to learn and repeat and also  for beginning readers to read for themselves. Notable artist Robert Smythe creates an enticing world of lovely prehistoric landscapes done in layered watercolors which, despite the dire straits of the cute little dinosaurs, have plenty of visual appeal, while the rhythmic and rhyming sounds tell the story in a unique way for preschool and primary readers. Says Kirkus Reviews, “A rousingly rumbly ramble.”

Share this one with its companion book by McCanna and Smythe, Watersong.

Snow Play Day: Dino-Christmas by Lisa Wheeler

EVERYONE IS FULL OF CHEER!

Santa Claws has had his applause. Now what can the Dinos do for fun? Wait! LOOK!

FAT FLAKES STICH A QUILT OF WHITE.

PERFECT FOR A SNOWBALL FIGHT.

Campysaurus packs snowballs and flings. T. Rex makes angel wings.

IGUANA SCULPTS DINOSAURS OF SNOW.

ANKYLO FEASTS ON MISTLETOE.

The mischievous Ptero twins' snowballs hit T. Rex with a whack, but then it's time to give them back a smack. It's all in good fun, a day on the run, for the Dino-Kids in a merry snow play until the day is done. Now what?

Soon it'll be time for them all to convene...

To plan their costumes for Halloween?

It's never a dull day with Lisa Wheeler's Dino-Kids, in her Dino-Christmas (Dino-Holidays) (CarolRhoda Books), in a holiday free-for-all in the new snowfall. When they're not mauling each other in football or Dino disco dancing, they can be found in more holiday Dino stories, Dino-Thanksgiving (Dino-holidays) and Dino-Halloween (Dino-Holidays).

Getting By With A Little Help From My Friends! We Will Rock Our Classmates Ryan T. Higgins

Penelope was the only T-Rex in her school. Sometimes that made her stand out a little. And sometimes Penelope's classmates didn't see her at all. They just saw a dinosaur.

Like when Penelope wants to play dentist, her playmates get to be the dentists and she gets to be the ... dinosaur in the dental chair.

And the kid dentists are pretty picky about her dental hygiene.

"Have you been flossing? William Omoto's backpack is stuck in your teeth!"

But when their teacher Mrs. Noodleman tells them it's time to sign up for the big Talent Show, Penelope knows just what she wants to do. She wants to rock her crowd with her guitar! It'll be great--if she can just screw up the courage to sign up under the gaze of their class pet, Walter the Ferocious Goldfish!

But when she does sign up, she overhears her classmates wondering aloud if a dinosaur could even play guitar! Onstage she freezes up and fails the audition. Maybe dinosaurs can't rock and roll.

That night her parents notice that she's only eaten 54 burgers. The next day she sits alone on the bench during recess. Dinosaurs probably can't play Duck! Duck! Goose! either. She slips into the classroom and erases her name off the sign-up sheet.

But her dad guesses what is wrong, and pulls the old family photo album and shows her photos of her uncle the figure skater and her mom the marathon runner, and her dad the Champion Hamburger Eater of the World. All the family were dinosaurs, but they did lots of other stuff, and so can she!

"You're kind and caring and creative!" Dad tells her.

And the next day, Penelope puts on her pink tutu and cowboy boots and puts her name back on the sign-up sheet. Soon she has a fabulous four playing with her band  and rocking the whole school down as Penelope and the Mustard Seeds. She doesn't even mind coming in second to Mabel Haysting and Her Tap-Dancing Pony. Mmmm! Ponies!

Kindergarten is very educational, in Ryan T. Higgins' latest, We Will Rock Our Classmates (Penelope Book 2) (Disney Hyperion Books, 2020), the sequel to his hysterical best-seller, We Don't Eat Our Classmates! (Penelope Book 1). It's not Your Mama's Kindergarten with Penelope the T-Rex in the story circle, and kids will love to adjust to Kindergarten along with Penelope and all her delish, er, delightful classmates to get to know.

Ryan T. Higgins is also the author of the best-selling hilarious series about a grumpy bear and his imprinted flock of goslings in the Mother Bruce (Mother Bruce, Book 1) (Mother Bruce Series (1)).

A Taste for Literature: Library Books Are Not for Eating by Todd Tarpley

THE DAY MS. BRONTE CAME TO SCHOOL, STORY TIME WAS EXTRA COOL.

But she had this unfortunate habit....

COULDN'T BEAT IT....

ONCE SHE READ A BOOK, SHE'D EAT IT.

The class was aghast. They loved their books. They felt they had to repeat that library books are not to eat!

Librarian McSmartly envisioned her book stock shrinking. What was Ms. Bronte thinking? Ms. McSmartly had to preserve her collection! MS. Bronte vowed to end her greedy prediliction. But on her way out, she gobbled a booktruck full of fiction.

Ms. Bronte promised to change her diet. The Lunch Lady dished her up stew and cottage cheese. But that didn't seem to please Ms. Bronte, who scarfed up all the kitchen's recipes.

Maybe big Coach Burley can could her straight--and alter the choice of what she ate. But the coach was more concerned that his soccer field needed mowing, which seemed to set Ms. Bronte's juices flowing! But after she ate Burley's book of soccer plays, she vowed to change her ways.

IT'S NOT THAT I FIND BOOKS SO YUMMY! BUT NOTHING ELSE HERE FILLS MY TUMMY!

Coach Burley offered Ms. Bronte a deal.... Make his overgrown playing field her daily meal!

Author Todd Tarpley's latest school story, Library Books Are Not for Eating! (Doubleday, 2020), fits right on the menu with last year's hit gustatory yarn, We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins. (See my review here). Author Todd Tarpley is the past master of wordplay, rhymes, and comic plots, and Tom Booth's, er, tasteful illustrations make this one a humorous introduction for that first classroom lecture on library book care. Other hit books by Todd Tarpley are Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep! Naughty Ninja Takes a Bath, Three Grumpy Trucks, and his classic, Ten Tiny Toes.

Beware! Big Beasts! Marvlt and Goreg by Connor Anstiss.

Marvlt and Goreg are good friends, buddies who find adventures wherever they go! One afternoon, fishing with their dads, they spot a big fish... a VERY big fish!

SHARK!

JUST THEN GOREG FELL INTO THE WATER.

It's bad timing, but after a little bit of shark bite, a few stitches in his foot, and a good night's rest, Goreg has recovered and goes for a swim in Marvlt's pool.

REFRESHING!

Luckily, Goreg recovers fast, and the next day they go to the zoo. But they both get too close to the dinosaur enclosure, and both of them are bitten by the dinosaur.

THEY RECEIVED STITCHES ON THEIR HEADS.

THEY SURVIVED.

Marvlt recovers quickly and goes over to see Goreg, who has a lingering headache.

OUCH!

After a restorative nap Goreg is ready for a swim and some basketball. Getting the stitches out of his head is no walk in the park, but a trip to the toy store helps. Apparently, Goreg still can't get enough of big beasts!

I ALWAYS WANTED A TOY TYRANNOSAURUS AND A TOY MEGALODON.

It's not easy being a character in a book by an eight-year-old author. You need to be a fast healer and have an ongoing attraction for beasts with big, scary teeth, but best buddies Marvlt and Goreg have got what it takes in Connor Anstiss' Marvlt and Goreg Get in Big Trouble With a Dinosaur (XLibris). And when the big beasts are bested, there's always time to jump in the pool. For preschool and early primary kids, reading this one may stimulate their desires write their own big beast adventure!

Dino Hunters: How to Catch a Dinosaur by Adam Wallace

TOMORROW'S THE BIG SCIENCE FAIR.

WE'VE NEVER WON BEFORE, BUT THIS YEAR, I CANNOT LOSE!

You can't fault this kid for not having some BIG dreams. As a hunter, he's gone after some exotic creatures--a mermaid, unicorn, leprechaun, elf, a monster, a dragon, and even..., yes, The Easter Bunny and The Tooth Fairy.. But this time, it's for SCIENCE, and he's going after the ultimate catch--a DINOSAUR.

Dinosaurs have been described as huge, fierce, and carnivorous They have also been described as extinct!   But this kid doesn't buy that story! He's a full-blown dino extinction denier.

And besides, he and his friends have a plentitude of plans for this big game hunt. After all, they know all about dinosaurs! They try setting out a tasty meaty bait, but the dino bypasses the easy bite.

LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A PLANT EATER!

But one dino trap after another fails to capture this mighty--volcano deadfalls and power machinery with potent pulleys, their Robohugger 9000.

SHE SHOULD BE CALLED T. WRECKS!

It's back to the old drawing board, for our intrepid hunter and for intrepid author Adam Wallace and illustrator Andy Elkerton, in their latest in their How To series, How to Catch a Dinosaur (Sourcebooks/Wonderland, 2019). It seems as long as there are big beasts and magical creatures to catch, our boy will be game for the big game hunt and young readers will keep on chuckling at his efforts. See other funny books by Adam Wallace here.

Time to Shine: The Dinosaur Expert by Margaret McNamara

Kimmy collected things...rocks and shells and leaves and pebbles and feathers.

She even collected owl pellets.

But of all the things that Kimmy collected, fossils were her favorite.

So when Mr. Tiffin's class is scheduled for a field trip to the Natural History Museum, Kimmy knows she will be in her element.

Kimmy couldn't wait to share!

But Jake is used to thinking of himself as the class leader, the guy who knows it all, and when Kimmy volunteers all she knows about allosauruses, he challenges her right away.

"Girls aren't scientists." Jake declares definitively.

Kimmy grew quiet.

And as the class makes its way through the dinosaur exhibit, Kimmy reads the placards about the famous paleontologists of history--Edward Cope, Earl Douglass, O. C. Marsh. All men.

"See?" said Jake.

Mr. Tiffin leads them to a glass case with a small skeleton and asked if anyone knows what it was.

"Archaeopteryx, Jurassic period," whispered Kimmy.

Kimmy offers information about oviraptors sitting on their eggs to protect them, but when Mr. Tiffin asks her to tell the class all she knows about them, she glances at Jake and quietly declines.

But when Mr. Tiffin deftly steers the class to the case for a rare specimen, Gasparinisaura Cinco altensis, Kimmy reads the plaque which names the scientist who found and classified the specimen, Zulma de Gasparini--a woman! A woman dinosaur scientist!

Suddenly Kimmy speaks up, proud of what she knows and happy to share it.

"Early raptors had five fingers and later raptors had three." she said.

"How come?" asked Jake.

"They evolved," replied Kimmy. "They kept what they needed and changed what they didn't!"

And there is a bit of evolving going on in Mr. Tiffin's class, in Margaret McNamara's latest primary grade picture book, The Dinosaur Expert (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series) (Schwartz and Wade, 2018). With perceptive and carefully crafted narration, the author lets her characters gently evolve a new attitude about gender roles. Artist G. Brian Karas' subtle illustrations extend the author's text perfectly in the expressions of Kimmy and Jake's classmates and in their own faces as they subtly negotiate new roles for themselves. The latest book in this noted series reminds us that primary teachers teach more than just the facts. Says Kirkus in their starred review, "A pivotal moment in a child's life, handled with grace and sensitivity rather than conflict or ineffective lecturing."

This one is a worthy successor to McNamara's and Karas' deft collaboration in the Mr. Tiffin's Classroom series, How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series) (read my review here.

School Rules: We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Penelope Rex was nervous.

It's not every day a little T. Rex starts to school.

She's got all the necessary school gear. Mom's got her a new backpack and a cool Little Pony lunchbox, packed with 300 tuna sandwiches and a box of apple juice, and she's pretty in pink in her new overalls. But still Penelope worries.

"What are my classmates going to be like? How many teeth will they have?"

But it's Penny's classmates who should be worried. They are all children, and Penelope already knows one thing about children. They are tasty.

So she ate them!

Oops. Her teacher, Mrs. Noodleman, catches her in the act, one Kindergarten-sized shoe still dangling by its shoestring from her mouth.

"Spit them out," she orders firmly.

"We don't eat our classmates!"

A soggy group of kids, dripping disgusting pink-ish dino drool, re-appear, looking piteously at Mrs. Noodleman. Their parents apparently didn't warn them about being eaten for morning snack time.

Penelope pitches in to be a good sport at recess, but the sight of her, mouth wide open, at the bottom of the twisty slide, doesn't inspire confidence in her classmates. She finds that no one accepts her invitation to sit next to her at lunch. So far, making friends isn't on her menu.

After school Penelope reports sadly that no one at school would play with her.

"Sometimes it's hard to make friends, especially if you eat them," Dad points out.

That night Penny snuggles under her beloved pony coverlet (Ponies are tasty!) and thinks about her dad's advice.

But new Kindergartners often find it difficult to curb their impulses, and the new day doesn't start well.

"Mrs. Noodleman! Penelope ate William Omoto again!" someone tattles.

Understandably, the kids keep their distance from Penelope Rex. Lonely, she wanders over to where the class pet, Walter the Goldfish, is swimming happily in his bowl. Maybe at least Walter will be her friend. Penelope sticks one finger into the water.

Walter CHOMPS!

"WAAAHHH!" cries Penelope. "He's EATING my finger!"

Suddenly Penelope discovers the true meaning of the golden rule, in Ryan T. Higgins' latest giggle fest, We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Disney Hyperion Books, 2018). Higgins' best-selling picture books are small masterpieces of dramatic pacing and ironically hilarious illustrative style, and Penelope is a totally cute little T. Rex, a somehow sympathetic character despite that one bad predilection, and kids' tickleboxes will turn over as Walter the Goldfish pointedly delivers the denouement. School rules were never more fun.

Ryan T. Higgins is also the author of the top-selling hits, Mother Bruce, Hotel Bruce (Mother Bruce), and Bruce's Big Move (Mother Bruce) (see reviews here).

Rebel Without a Cause! Super Saurus Saves Kindergarten by Deborah Underwood

Kindergarten was starting in two days.

"No kindergarten in the universe can hold me," said Arnold.

"I am SUPER SAURUS!"

Arnold doesn't want to let his twin sister Emily know he's anxious about starting Kindergarten, so he assumes his superhero identity and makes preparations for the big day. He packs his snorkel, a jar of peanut butter, and his homemade boat.

Arnold climbs into their sedan, which transforms instantly into a submarine, with Mom and Dad in the front seat, driving their prisoner relentlessly onward to the sinister towers of Dino Tykes Elementary, which Arnold envisages as the lair of the evil Mr. Zorgo. Along the way he dons his Super Saurus Scuba Suit, and makes a brief escape before Dad blocks his path.

"Time for Plan B," said Super Saurus.

Super Saurus whips out his jar of peanut butter and converts his sneakers to Sticky Shoes.

"They'll never find me... on top of this skyscraper,"

The skyscraper looks a lot like the twisty slide, and Arnold is again snagged by Dad and brought to the very door of the evil Zorgo's lair.

"The teacher is Mr. Zachary," says Emily, trying to explain.

The seemingly mild-mannered Mr. Z. invites Arnold inside, where the other kids are sitting on the floor.

But Arnold is having nothing to do with sitting on that rug. It's a popular trap, but one that Super Saurus has planned for. He pulls out his escape vehicle and prepares to blast off into outer space.

But then he heard howling.

One of his peers seems to be having a first-day meltdown. A true Super Saurus would not abandon helpless preschoolers to the clutches of the evil Zorgo, would he?

Duty calls, and Arnold returns to protect the weak. He shields his fellow students from the Vacuum Viper and defends them against the terrible KROK, (a.k.a., the class pet lizard.) At art time he creates a colorful poster advertising the services of Super Saurus. Super Arnold saves the day!

"I'm glad you were here today, Super Saurus." said Mr. Z.

Deborah Underwood's Super Saurus Saves Kindergarten (Hyperion, 2017) offers a super look at the first-day-fears of a very imaginative kid, ably assisted by artist Ned Young, who portrays the riotously inventive Arnold's ingenious scenarios in bright acrylic illustrations. For kids worried about being able to boldly go when they've never gone before, share this one with Planet Kindergarten (see review here.)

"Imagination as a coping mechanism equals lots of superpowered fun," says Kirkus Reviews.

Lost in the Cretaceous! Pop-Up Peekaboo! Baby Dinosaur by Clare Lloyd

Baby Dinosaur is not lost. He knows right where he is.

It's Mommy Tyrannosaurus Rex who is missing!

This is serious.

WHERE, OH WHERE CAN SHE BE?

She's pretty big! Maybe Baby T. Rex can find her hiding behind that big rock!

But no! Who's that?

It's Baby Alamosaurus! He's clearly cuddly and friendly, but he's not Baby T.'s Mommy!

Baby T. Rex scuttles on, getting a little worried. What's that he sees? A nest of dinosaur eggs? And who's hiding there? Baby Acheroraptor?

"You are not MY mother!"

It might be fun to stay and play, but Baby T. Rex is getting hungry, so he moves on. He leaves no stone unturned but finds only Baby Triceratops! Now he's hungry and frustrated. But what's that he hears? Is it a munch and a crunch? But behind that big log is Baby Ankylosaurus, who's already found his lunch!

And then... Is that a familiar ROAR? Quick! Look inside that cave!

Mommy T. Rex is definitely hiding among the Hadrosaurids, in Clare Lloyd's delightful little lift-the-flap book, Pop-up Peekaboo! Baby Dinosaur (Dorling Kindersley, 2018). Taking a page from the plot of P.D. Eastman's ever-popular Are You My Mother? (Bright & Early Board Books(TM)), Lloyd introduces curious toddlers to popular dinosaurs as Baby T. Rex seeks his mother through her brand-new toy-and-movable board book in which each double-page spread features a surprise with another baby dino behind every flap. Illustrator Peter Minister's baby cretaceous critters are as cute as can be while still easily recognizable as what they are, portrayed with characteristic humps and bumps and spikes and even the colored feathers of their species. This board-book is a must-read for little dino lovers, a fun way to learn some prehistory along the way to some jolly surprises. Quips Kirkus Reviews, "Nature, plush in tooth and claw."

Dinos Teach Differences: A Stampede of Dinosaurs: A Clever Opposites Book by Kimberley Farrah, et al

It's a parade, a march, even a stampede, as dinosaurs stomp across the pages, in clusters and squads, huddles and piles, What's going on here?

What is going on is a jolly lesson in comparison, one of those concepts that preschoolers need to master, and these fanciful dinosaurs arrange themselves into groups for that purpose. Three dinos become a tall squad, the opposite of a pile of short, sleeping dinos. Some dinos climb, while some slide down.

Slow dinosaurs plod along, Fast dinos pass in a flurry of blurry speed.

Picture Fit Board Books: A Stampede of Dinosaurs: An Opposites Book (Priddy Books/St. Martin's Press, 2017) has a lot going on in pursuit of the vocabulary to describe the concept of opposites. In addition to the usual terms like big and small, new words such as cluster and huddle are also introduced visually, as well as concrete matches that come in the raised figures of each different group of dinosaurs which just happen to fit into niches in their opposing pages. This tactile-stimulating board book with some enticing characters intends to teach an abstraction, the mental concept of opposites which depends on recognizing salient differences, one way humans frame the way they see their world. This little board book can help with the process.

A Brother from Another Mother? Dino Duckling by Alison Murphy

EVEN AS AN EGG, DINO DUCKLING WAS DIFFERENT.

Mama Duckling struggles to balance on top of her big, strange, blue egg, sitting tall among her relatively small duck eggs. Incubation is a challenge.

And when her eggs crack, the little ones are cute yellow bundles of fluff, but the big egg hatches out as one indisputably Ugly Duckling. But Mama Duck loves them all, and although it's a stretch, manages to take all her babies under her wings.

"BIG AND WIDE,
SLEEK AND SLIM,
WE'RE A FAMILY,
AND WE ALL FIT IN!"

Mama Duck gets busy teaching her hatchlings all the things they need to know as they grow--swimming, catching fish, how to share with each other, and how to navigate by the stars. The three little ducklings take to it like, well, ducks to water. Dino Duckling? Not so much.

It doesn't come easy to Dino Duckling. It's one thing to believe being different is a good thing, but the other creatures in the pond don't always see it that way. His swimming style is mostly thrash and splash, and the swans take umbrage in having their feathers ruffled and their elegant glide interrupted. In the lovely little pond, Dino Duckling is the equivalent of the metaphoric bull in the china shop.

SOMETIMES BEING DIFFERENT WAS DIFFICULT.

And as the summer goes by and the ducklings lose their yellow fuzz and grow sleek feathers, Dino Duckling stays the same--only BIGGER. MUCH BIGGER!

And when autumn arrives and it's time for the ducks to fly south for the winter, Dino Duckling just can't get this migration thing off the ground. He's left alone, weeping in the willows by the river.

"DIFFERENCE DOES MATTER," HE THOUGHT SADLY.

But Mother Duck doesn't despair. Where there's a will, there's a way, and she comes up with a just ducky solution to send them all south in style, in Alison Murphy's Dino Duckling (Little, Brown and Company, 2018). Dealing with all kinds of differences in the family and in the wider world is an important matter, even for pre- and primary schoolers, and Murphy's sweet and funny story spells out her premise with bouncy rhymes and with visual humor in her gentle illustrations of a family determined to break the mold to make sure they leave no sibling behind. Says Kirkus Reviews, "Reassurance for the Dino Duckling in every family!"

And if you need a pair to share, try Kallie George's Duck, Duck, Dinosaur and sequels. (See reviews here.)

Rapping in the Stacks! Rappy Goes to the Library by Dan Gutman

I'M RAPPY THE RAPTOR
AND I'D LIKE TO SAY
I MAY NOT TALK
IN THE USUAL WAY!

It's field trip time, and Mrs. Hoopenlooper (a huge and terrifying creature, according to Rappy) is prepping her rowdy class for a visit to the library. She especially warns Rappy, who is prone to break into an impromptu rap at odd times, that she expects him to keep quiet. It's a tall order, but Rappy wants to please Mrs. H. However, when he bursts into a totally, er, fictionalized rap version of their bus trip, Mrs. Higgenlooper has to quash his recital. Okay...

THERE WAS NO TRAIN OR JET OR FERRY.

WE JUST WENT TO... THE LIBRARY!

Hoopenlooper calls for nothing but "inside voices," and Mrs. Darian the Librarian takes over, guiding them through the collection and to the desk to get their very own library cards.

OH, SO HAPPY!

AND ON THE FRONT...
MY NAME--RAPPY!

But next comes the many-floor tour, which Rappy's class finds quite a snore. But Rappy feels sorry for Darian the Librarian, whose act is clearly bombing. She's losing her audience fast. Can Rappy come up with a rap to save the act and the field trip?

With author Dan Gutman coming up with the dialog, Rappy's soon rockin' the stacks, in Gutman's latest I-Can-Read Level 2 title, Rappy Goes to the Library (I Can Read Level 2) (Harper, 2017). Gutman, the best-selling creator of the My Weird School series, is right at home in the classroom scene, and gives Rappy a chance to rhyme "scary" with "little house on the prairie," to become the book guy of the year. Other Rappy the Raptor stories for the grades 1 and 2  readers are Rappy the Raptor, Rappy Goes to the Supermarket (I Can Read Level 2), and Rappy Goes to School.