Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Dinosaurs, scientifically specified but cartoonishly drawn, throw an eon-spanning party in this amiable romp. Peace reigns among vegetarians and carnivores of all sizes, who dance side by side. Protoceratops and Diplodocus bump to the music even as "Tyrannosaurus Rex led a conga line./ Carnosaurs capered close behind." All the while, rhythmic couplets keep the beat ("Ankylosaurus drummed on his hard-shelled back, Boomalacka boomalacka! Whack! Whack! Whack!"), and every mouth opens in a broad smile revealing toothlessness or pointy incisors. Shields (I Wish My Brother Was a Dog) wields a corny sense of humor, quipping "The party went onit was so outrageous,/ They stayed up well past the late Cretaceous." In his first picture book, Nash complements the zany tone with watercolor and pencil images of pudgy, happy dinos, which he pictures with multicolored spots and stripes. However, the illustrator keeps young experts' knowledge in mind; his illustrations make note of such defining qualities as Pentaceratops's five horns, Iguanadon's pelican-like droop of chin skin and Tarchia's turtle beak. The formal names and artistic details add a touch of accuracy to this thoroughly playful account. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2There is a catchy rhythm in the rhyming verse Shields creates for her dancing dinosaurs, though the subject matter alone ensures a receptive audience. There's no real story herejust a playful description of events leading up to the big Saturday night event, the Dinosaur Stomp. Nash's large, brightly colored illustrations are full of movement and complement the light tone of the text. The cartoon dinosaurs are drawn with partial accuracy in regard to their general shape and attributes such as horns, but these friendly faces are not at all threatening or scary. Children will enjoy the lively verse and exuberant artwork; dance steps are diagrammed on the endpapers. A perfect companion to books such as Wendy Hartmann and Niki Daly's The Dinosaurs Are Back and It's All Your Fault Edward (McElderry, 1997) and Diane Hearn's Dad's Dinosaur Day (Macmillan, 1993).Robin L. Gibson, Muskingum County Library System, Zanesville, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
'Slick back your scales and get ready to romp / On Saturday night at the Dinosaur Stomp!' Shields tells her nonsensical story in rhyming, catchy verse, filled with dino-terminology, while grinning, colorful dinosaurs rock and roll across the pages. This is sure to please reptile-obsessed youngsters, despite the fact that the text and illustrations rely more on the popular subject than on imagination to attract readers. From HORN BOOK 1997, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Dinosaurs get down and boogie at a Saturday all-night bash: Shields's rhymes and Nash's drawings create an extravaganza of prehistoric fun. Saturday evening the dinosaurs primp and preen, preparing for the big dance. Then they go out to stomp their feet, crank their guitars, and dance so hard they create the first earthquake, upsetting volcanoes into a fireworks display. The party lasts until the Cenozoic dawns, when all the dinosaurs settle in for some sleep. Witty and imaginative, the poem has a rhythm that makes cumbersome multi-syllable dinosaur names roll off the tongue--good read-aloud material. The illustrations match the text's exuberance with drawings of boisterously striped and polka-dotted dinosaurs, who play bongos, dance congas, and kick up their heels. (Picture book. 4-8)
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