Up and Away! Elecopter by Michael Slack

HERE SHE COMES TO SAVE THE DAY!

ELECOPTER IS ON THE WAY!

Sorry! Wrong theme song. But if the tune fits, wear it, and Elecopter, the latest hybrid rescuer created by Michael Slack, is a robo-morphed elephant fitted out with 'copter rotors and skids on her feet, the better to protect and serve the animals of the preserve.

SHE SCANS THE SAVANNAH FROM HIGH ABOVE,

PATROLLING THE SKY, IT'S A LABOR OF LOVE!

And there's a lot of rescuing to be done! A rhino has to airlifted from a ravine! She has to drop her ladder to a marooned cheetah and a stranded baboon! And then there's that too-tall giraffe, surrounded by some hungry hyenas.

REV THOSE ROTORS! GO, ELECOPTER!

Preschoolers who like to think that help is always at hand will love cute blue Elecopter, who zooms to the rescue of hapless animals. Michael Slack has as much fun as a barrel full of monkeys with the digital illustrations for this jolly picture book, even using a vertical two-page spread to fit in the rescue of the long-necked giraffe, while a sudden forest fire is duly doused with a super spray from Ellie's handy hose nose, all in in Slack's community helper contraption series, Elecopter (Henry Holt, 2013). Publishers Weekly points out that this book is like a Little Golden Book on steroids, and the New York Times says, "Fierce in the face of danger and always kind, this motherly elephant gives parenting a good name."

This one pairs perfectly (and inevitably) with Slack's previously published Monkey Truck (Christy Ottaviano Books).

Dinosaurs on Call: Dinosaur Rescue! by Penny Dale

DINOSAUR TRAIN CHUGGING,

CHUGGING DOWN THE TRACK.

STUCK DINOSAUR CALLING, CALLING!

DINOSAUR RESCUE,

PLEASE COME QUICK!

When your little yellow truck gets stuck at the railroad crossing, who you gonna call!

Dinosaur Rescue, that's who. Different dinosaur crewmen scramble for their vehicles, and zoom toward the scene.

WEE-OOO!  WEE-OOO!  WEE-OOO! Dinosaur Police join flying dinos in their 'copters, CHOPPA CHOPPA! CHOPPA! at the crossing, waving red flags,  as the engineer of the Dino Train hits all the brakes. SCREECH!  SCREECH, SCREECH!

The Dinosaur Train stops just in time, and the Dinosaur EMRs dismount to make sure that everyone is safe and sound, as the Dinosaur Tow-Truck pulls up to haul the little yellow truck off the tracks. BRMM! BRMM! BRMM!

All is well, and the diverse rescuers return to their headquarters for a little R & R before they hit their bunks with a SNORE! SNORE! SNORE!  in Penny Dale's action-packed Dinosaur Rescue! (Candlewick/Nosy Crow Press, 2013).  With lots of action verbs and onomatopoeic sound effects that kids will love to join in on, Dale's latest vehicular adventure makes a perfect introduction to some of the more dramatic community helpers in that favorite primary grade unit.

Dale's bright illustrations are big and bold, both realistic and imaginative, to match her breathless narrative. Even the different drivers and crew are represented accurately enough for dinosaur enthusiasts to recognize, abetted by the front endpapers which show each dino helper and its scientific name, while the back endpapers give a nod to young gearheads with the various vehicles and their names.   A great read-aloud group participation story which is also accessible to beginning readers, this one combines dinosaurs with vehicles for lovers of both and offers opportunity for discussion of coordinated community services besides.

Pair this jolly first-responder story with Michael Slack's brand-new Elecopter, (see my recent review here), or with Dale's other books in this dino-mite series, Dinosaur Zoom! and Dinosaur Zoom!