Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 1^-2. Lost-and-found is the theme of three short chapters in this I Can Read book. Detective Dinosaur helps locate Baby Penny, who steals a taxi, runs over Inez Iguanodon, and then loses her diaper. The detective's next case involves a kitten that he finds outside the station, and in the last case, the lost party is the detective himself. Despite a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book, the use of real dinosaur names (tyrannosaurus, apatosaurus) may trip a few kids up. But it is the use of the giant creatures (cartoon-ized, of course) that is the draw here. Baby Penny's story is overly long (and why does she have to run over someone, even an anthropomorphized iguanodon?), but the rest of the book, especially the colorful, appealing art, is right on target for the age group. --Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2Skofield and Alley team up for the second book featuring the bungling Detective Dinosaur and clever Officer Pterodactyl. In "Lost," they search for a baby apatosaur who has left a trail of clues. In "Found," they find a moving paper bag. Further investigation reveals a lost kitten. In the final chapter, "Lost and Found," Detective Dinosaur himself is lost on a foggy night and found by his sidekick when he starts singing. Each chapter tells a satisfying story. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations add visual interest and, in the case about the lost baby, reveal her location to alert readers. The humor is right on target for beginning readers. Not meant for the scientific dino fan who may wonder at Granny Apatosaurus, who wears lipstick and sensible black shoes, and pushes a baby carriage, the book is sure to delight anyone who just likes dinosaurs.Sharon R. Pearce, San Antonio Public Library, TX (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
A clueless Detective Dinosaur and his friend Officer Pterodactyl march through three silly stories: a runaway baby apatosaurus proves difficult to find despite her large size, a stray kitten finds a home at the police station, and Detective Dinosaur gets lost in the fog. Themes of friendship, caring, and nonsense are featured in each episode. The illustrations contain plenty of humorous details. From HORN BOOK Fall 1998, (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.
