April 23, 2018
This gentle, warmly illustrated introduction to dinosaurs focuses on 15 species. Paul uses straightforward, descriptive language to compare and contrast the characteristics of different dinosaurs: “There were many kinds of dinosaurs. There were little dinosaurs... big dinosaurs... and enormous dinosaurs.” Each page features and identifies one or more species, rendered in illustrations that resemble cut-paper constructions. Peloroplites is a spikey green dinosaur that “lived alone.” Others, like the corythosaurus dinosaurs (which Paul depicts with bright, orange crests), “lived together in a family.” In a striking rendering, T. rex appears in smoky, marbled black. Paul’s approach is more playful than naturalistic, making this dinosaur primer a good choice for readers just starting to have fun with mixing colors and shapes. Ages 2–5.
April 1, 2018
PreS-K-Drawing on his background in digital publishing and entertainment advertising, Paul has crafted an engaging introduction to the world of dinosaurs. The simple text on each spread features one type of dinosaur and offers basic observations about the uniqueness of these prehistoric creatures. The digital artwork puts the focus squarely on their distinguishing characteristics while providing just enough background context to inform readers that the dinos featured in his book were terrestrial beings. An author's note on the copyright page explains his use of a "wild and wide range of colors" is a nod to the latest research that suggests dinosaur species were more colorful than previously thought. Young readers will be drawn to these colors and the simplicity of presentation. Parents and teachers will appreciate the pronunciation assistance provided on the end pages. VERDICT This engaging introduction is recommended for all collections that serve budding paleontologists.-Lynn Van Auken, Oak Bluffs School, Oak Bluffs, MA
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 15, 2018
Intense hues light up a prehistoric parade.It's really all about the colors. The endpapers are twinned head-shot galleries captioned, in the front, with scientific names ("Tyrannosaurus rex") and pronunciations and, in the rear, translations of same ("Tyrant Lizard King"). In between, Paul marches 18 labeled dinos--mostly one type per page or spread, all flat, white-eyed silhouettes posed (with occasional exceptions) facing the same way against inconspicuously stylized background. The text runs toward the trite: "Some dinosaurs were fast... / and other dinosaurs were slow." But inspired by the fact that we know very little about how dinosaurs were decorated (according to a brief author's note), Paul makes each page turn a visual flash. Going for saturated hues and vivid contrasts rather than complex patterns, he sets red-orange spikes like flames along the back of a mottled aquamarine Kentrosaurus, places a small purple-blue Compsognathus beneath a towering Supersaurus that glows like a blown ember, pairs a Giganotosaurus' toothy head and crest in similarly lambent shades to a spotted green body, and outfits the rest of his cast in like finery. "Today you can see their bones at the museum," he abruptly, inadequately, and simplistically concludes.There's not much beyond the razzle-dazzle, but it's got that in spades. (Informational picture book. 5-7)
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