Microsaurs--Follow that Tiny-Dactyl

November 7, 2016
Video-game creator Hansen mashes up dinosaurs, futuristic technology, extreme sports, and other ever-popular story elements in his first novel, which launches the Microsaurs series. Nine-year-old Danny seems destined for adventure: his father is an inventor for SpyZoom Technologies, and his best friend Lin Song is a “skateboarding daredevil.” While using SpyZoom Invisible Communicators to follow Lin during her qualifying run in the town’s Under 12 X-treme Games, Danny sees a small red-orange figure smash into its camera lens as she races down the ramp. Thanks to the GPS device that the mysterious creature, a tiny dinosaur, swipes from Lin’s helmet, the kids track the culprit to the junglelike lab of the oddball Professor Penfold, who cares for a cache of Microsaurs he rescued from Peru. Danny and Lin’s quest to retrieve the tracking device and return home in time for Lin’s championship run hits a snag after they are inadvertently shrunk down to the size of “very squashable” bugs. Hansen’s peppy cartoons provide an up-close look at all the smaller-than-life action in this high-energy escapade. Ages 7–10. Agent: Gemma Cooper, Bent Agency.

November 1, 2016

Gr 2-4-Danny and Lin are best friends who love adventure. Lin is participating in a skateboarding tournament. During her turn, the GPS monitor she uses to track her stunts is stolen. When Danny and Lin follow the GPS signal, they discover a strange lab and are shrunk down to micro proportions. They are not the only tiny creatures-there are also itty-bitty dinosaurs called microsaurs. Danny and Lin must figure out how to return to their own size and get back to the tournament in time for the next round. Nearly every page features black-and-white illustrations, helping to keep new readers engaged. However, the characters and plot are somewhat flat and predictable. VERDICT A standard adventure story that will please dinosaur aficionados. An additional purchase for libraries looking to beef up their series chapter book collections.-Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, Providence

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2016
Grades 3-5 Ever heard of microscopic dinosaurs? Neither had nine-year-olds Danny and Lin until one steals the GPS beacon off Lin's helmet during a skateboard competition. Danny, the dinosaur expert, reviews the video footage from the SpyZoom Invisible Communicator that his tech-savvy dad invented, and he determines the reddish-orange smudge on the screen is, incredibly, a minidinosaur. Following the GPS tracker, the kids find themselves outside of town, facing an old house. Not ones to shrink from adventure, they climb the tall iron fence and enter an old barn, which contains a science lab and a note asking for help. Suddenly, Danny and Lin are hit with a blue light that shrinks them to tiny proportions. They meet Professor Penrod, the Microsaurs' caretaker, who himself has been shrunk. So, who saves whom? Hansen mixes fantasy, science fiction, and realistic fiction to create a fast-paced read for elementary readers. His whimsical illustrations of the dinosaurs make them appear as lovable pets. This first book sets the stage for more adventures of the fearless duo and the Microsaurs.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)