By Jonny Duddle
Templar Books, 2014
Picture book, 32 pages, ages 3-7
Bonehead, Tiny, Fin, and Bill – four dinosaur friends – spend their days “playing in the Cretaceous sun, following tracks and having fun.” Their moms warn them to beware of the Gigantosaurus, whose “feet go STOMP! His jaws go CRUNCH! In the blink of an eye, you’ll be his lunch!” Bonehead decides that they need a lookout and he’s the best. But every time Bonehead cries “GIGANTOSAURUS!” it’s a false alarm … until it isn’t. Will Tiny, Fin, and Bill heed the warning, or will they be someone’s lunch?
A prehistoric Boy Who Cried Wolf …er, dinosaur… with teeth!
This is a charming rhyming story with the feel of a modern fairy tale or fable. There is definitely a lesson to be learned: don’t lie. But it’s more entertaining than heavy handed. The repetitive “The GIGANTOSAURUS! Quick – run and hide!” sets up a pattern for kids to anticipate what happens next. Will they be eaten or won’t they? The story is engaging enough to hold up after several readings, and the detailed illustrations provide plenty of new things to find.
The artwork is vibrant and expressive. Every character is given so much personality. In fact, half of the story is told through pictures.
There are other learning opportunities: back matter with fun facts about the dinosaurs in the story and a dust jacket that becomes an informational poster. This is also a good story to use as an example when learning about story structure and rhyme scheme. So much value in a fun story.
Will kids like this book? I think so. I would’ve read it over and over again as a kid. But to be honest, being an artistic kid, I probably would have been more interested in the pictures than the words. Still, it’s a solid read. Recommended.
Gigantosuarus by Jonny Duddle received 4 stars from this reviewer.