What Kind of Car Does a T. Rex Drive?

February 25, 2019
Business is so slow at Uncle Otto’s used car lot that he declares, “I will sell a car to anyone—or anything—that shows up!” Then dinosaurs descend: improbably hued beasts, sporting multicolored polka dots, who loom over the small, roly-poly humans. “I’m looking for a car,” a stegosaurus says. “What do you recommend?” Uncle Otto is flummoxed, but his plucky niece and nephew, Ava and Mickey, are both dinosaur aficionados and intuitive salespersons. “You like the wind and you’re a fish eater,” Mickey tells a tired pterodactyl before suggesting a convertible so “you can drive to the beach and glide from the cliffs to the ocean.” A T. rex almost stumps—and stomps—them (“Can you really see me driving a minivan?” it booms), but Ava and Mickey find the perfect match: a monster truck. The story ends with more of a thud than a bang, but Lee (Twenty Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street) and Biggs (the Frank Einstein series) do succeed in giving families a new road trip game that doesn’t involve screens: What Kind of Dinosaur Would Drive That Car? Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

March 15, 2019
Dinosaurs and vehicular modes of transportation meld in symbiotic bliss.What's a used car salesman to do? Ava and Mickey's uncle Otto is having a summer sale, but the customers aren't coming. Or are they? When dinosaurs arrive looking for wheels, the kids' dino knowledge helps to put the right terrible lizard in the right car. The herbivorous stegosaurus gets one that it can take off the road and into the forests, for instance. Then a T. Rex with a short fuse arrives on the scene, and it'll be curtains for our heroes unless they can find him the best transport (and pronto!). Colorful and goofy, even the Rex, these dinos are the visual stars of this show. Much of the brush and ink work (colored digitally) appears simple, but details lurk, such as the perpetually changing signs around the lot. And one of the best unspoken gags is how every ungainly creature gamely drives off the lot, no matter how oversized they might be. The range of cars exceeds that of dinosaurs, but kids who are fans of either will find plenty to enjoy. Alas, while the book does take care to include a female dino in the mix, she stereotypically buys the only vehicle with flowers on it and calls a saleskid "a dear." Ava, Mickey, and Uncle Otto all have light skin and straight, black hair.Only the extinct would fail to enjoy this kicky amalgamation of dinos, deals, and automobiles. (Picture book. 3-6)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 17, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-Uncle Otto sells cars. Disappointed by the lack of customers to his summer sale, he loudly declares that he will sell a car to "anyone-or anything-that shows up!" Then the dinosaurs begin to arrive. Fortunately for Otto, his niece and nephew are dinosaur experts and able to help direct each of the prehistoric customers to a vehicle that suits their needs. The group is nearly stumped by the arrival of a cantankerous T-rex, but eventually the kids help him choose the perfect car. The dialogue between Otto and his customers moves the story along quickly and gives readers opportunities to practice their dinosaur read-aloud voices. Illustrations feature gigantic and colorful dinosaurs squeezing themselves into tiny little cars, often with the sharp bits poking out. The final spread shows a dinosaur so large it can't even fit on the page! VERDICT Silly and raucous, this is a perfect preschool storytime book.-Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library, RI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2019
Grades K-3 Summertime sales are slow at Otto's Used Cars. Then a surprising potential buyer arrives: a stegosaurus. Thankfully, young Ava and Mickey prove able assistants?and sales associates?for their baffled uncle Otto, as Ava explains stegosauruses eat plants, and Mickey suggests an off-roader to drive deep into the forest to find mosses and ferns to snack on. Sold! A pterodactyl appears next (telling them, It's too hot to fly ) and departs in a sporty convertible. Then a triceratops appears?again and again, dino buffs Ava and Mickey successfully connect each creature with the just-right vehicle. However, spiky-toothed, grumpy Tyrannosaurus rex is a more intimidating?and demanding?customer. What could possibly be a good fit? Animated text makes for fun reading and read-alouds, while Biggs' cartoonish, blocky illustrations with retro flair lend further humor and liveliness, from mustachioed, plaid-pants-wearing Otto to the expressive, polka-dotted dinosaurs squeezing themselves into cars. Abundant witty details great and small throughout, like the car lot's ever-changing signs, amplify the laughs. A delightful blend of dinosaurs with things that go, sure to entertain aficionados of both.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)