Dinotrux Dig the Beach

May 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Although Revenge of the Dinotrux (Little, Brown, 2012) was set in the present, the third installment in the series places the truck/dinosaur combo characters back in prehistoric times with the "cave people" who populated the first book. Summer in the jungle is hot, and the Dinotrux are grumpy, so they decide to take a beach vacation. The story line is not as innovative as the earlier books, but children will love seeing their own seaside activities (fishing, surfing, building a sand castle, toasting marshmallows, etc.) carried out by the Dinotrux. Some drama occurs when little Scoopasaurus is threatened by sharks, but tough Tyrannosaurus Trux quickly saves the day. Gall's graphite pencil-drawn, digitally colored illustrations give the book a great deal of humorous appeal. The artist cleverly combines elements of dinosaurs and trucks into individually distinct creatures with specific abilities and characteristics. For example, the surfing spread shows Tyrannosaurus Trux in a confident stance, Dumploducus nervously teetering, and Garbageadon playfully doing a handstand. The illustrations provide fun details, such as the story beginning and ending on the endpapers, and the Dinotrux arriving at the beach loaded with buckets, shovels, beach balls, and a picnic basket. VERDICT Fans of the earlier books will want to accompany the Dinotrux on this beach adventure.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2015
The third in Gall's crashing, smashing series takes the hot and grumpy Dinotrux on a vacation to the beach. What mayhem will ensue? Anyone who has experienced the cooling relief of water in the hot summer will know exactly how these trucks feel cannonballing into the water, sinking beneath the waves, and squirting water out in a stream-the delight is plain in their headlights and grilles. And that's not all that will be familiar: among other things, Digasaurus buries himself in the sand, Dumploducus unfortunately finds a nest of crabs, the Deliveradons have forgotten their sunscreen, and incontinent Cementosaurus gets bombed by sea gulls. The second half is taken up with the Dinotrux's attempt at building a sand castle, a dismal failure until Tyrannosaurus Trux takes charge and gets everyone cooperating, each Dinotruck doing the job for which it was made (born?). In the process, the group saves tiny Scoopasaurus from a menacing threat and gives a cave couple some new digs. Gall's penciled, digitally colored illustrations are sure to draw readers in, the Dinotrucks a masterful combination of childish enthusiasm and rough, tough machines. Pair this with Molly Idle's Sea Rex for a prehistoric storytime sure to have listeners in stitches and looking for more dino fun. Readers won't want to wait to find out where the Dinotrux will go next. (Picture book. 6-8)