JP and the Bossy Dinosaur

December 15, 2015
Young JP's happy mood takes a (temporary) flier when he discovers from a dinosaur-shaped measuring sign that he's too short for the Tween-o-Saurus Rex pool. The latest entry in Crespo's My Emotions and Me series goes seriously off the rails, as the Mood-o-Meter on the cover points to "sad," but JP's feelings seem a lot more like frustration or rage. The lad himself misidentifies his reaction to passing well beneath the "You Must Be This Tall" sign: "I almost threw a fit. I was so sad." The fugue only lasts a page turn, whereupon JP recalls that "I am a happy dinosaur" and cheerfully goes off to do a cannonball into the presumably relatively shallow Diplodo-Kids pool. Sirotich's cartoon illustrations will likewise leave young readers confused. If they are not puzzled by the way that the sign comes to life when JP tries to argue with it, or how JP and everyone else are depicted as dinosaurs on some spreads and people on others, then a later scene in which he is again made "sad" by the sight of a dog riding a tricycle will definitely make them scratch their heads. The author's italicized closing disclaimer that she's not an expert in child psychology is probably superfluous. Crespo needs a dictionary if she's going to make the series succeed. (note to parents and teachers) (Picture book. 4-6)

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