How Do Astronauts Wee in Space?

March 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Dr. Dino, a tyrannosaur with a "Ph.D in universal knowledge" enthusiastically introduces prehistory, astronomy, and a mix of mythology and folklore in a fast-moving format. The books consist of strongly written short paragraphs encapsulating big topics with loose transitions, tied together by the narrator's snarky remarks about the superiority of dinosaurs and the inadequacies of teachers. These repetitious bits become tiresome. Still, the text is smoothly written, and the cartoon line drawings match the tone. Inconsistent use of punctuation and references to the metric system with abrupt changes to American standard measurements are small matters in the face of the lack of documentation. Nonetheless, the books are accurate. In Do Dinosaurs Make Good Pets, the low number of illustrations is made up for by the fun of figuring out which drawing matches which prehistoric creature's description. In all the titles, Mitchell covers the most sensational, scatological, and strangest facts to nudge readers to the next paragraph. VERDICT Risky purchase with mass-market appeal.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2016
Grades 4-8 The title may be jocular and the tone may be light, but the information contained in this slim volume is surprisingly comprehensivethe title question isn't even answered until one of the final chapters. Fictional narrator Dr. Dino (a dinosaur, of course, and the narrator of several other Dr. Dino's Learnatorium titles) takes readers on a quick jaunt through the history of the universe, from the creation myths of various cultures to deep-space phenomenon like black holes. Much of the middle of the book focuses on humanity's relationship with the universe at large: historical astronomers, the Space Race, potential alien life, and ongoing efforts to colonize Mars are all addressed. Much of the information about space is nebulous, and citations or secondary resources would have been helpful here, but for pure educational entertainment, this can't be beat. Frequent comic spot art keeps things light, and as for that title question? The answer is more involved than you might think.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)