Long Arm

August 1, 2005
K-Gr 3 -Each book follows a day in the life of a specific prehistoric species. "Brachiosaurus", for example, chews leaves, swallows stones, and finally faces off with an "Allosaurus". Smaller print offers basic information related to the species on each spread. Sauropods are mentioned within the story, but most readers will have to learn what they are from the smaller-print definition. Generally, though, the shifts between story and fact work well. Dahl describes a mother "Diplodocus" knocking down a tree, for example, followed by a short paragraph that explains how the creature's heavy neck made this action possible. As "Diplodocus" escapes a predator by entering a lake, readers learn interesting related information about the significance of front-feet trackways. Digitally prepared illustrations convey the simplest features of the creatures and their environment, though lines vary in sharpness, and proportions are occasionally inconsistent. Visual elements referred to in the text, such as the -vast shadow - seen by "Ophthalmosaurus" in "Monster Fish", aren't always shown in the pictures, and a lake edge that's straight in one scene becomes abruptly curved in another. Using a species name to identify the character gets slightly confusing. "Diplodocus" features a mother and child adventure, and it's not always clear to which character the narrative text refers. Despite these minor rough spots, the books should still have strong appeal to children just beginning to explore the world of dinosaurs." -Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR"

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