Review by Booklist Review
A little bedlam brings a lot of giggles in a zany series starter graphic novel for young readers from Roselló, whose Red Panda & Moon Bear series won early elementary hearts. Hugo seems amazed to find a toy dinosaur on his floor, but the real surprise lies in Hugo's power to "TRANSFORM!" both the toy and himself into child-sized, talking dinos. Hugo teaches Dinosaur to rampage, which "means to go wild and break everything!" and gleefully leads the pair through mass physical destruction and a treasure hunt. Joined by a cursed skeleton king unearthed in Hugo's backyard, the new friends exuberantly annihilate--then earnestly repair--the home. Hugo's goofy noodle arms and the book's pastel palette lend an innocence to the mayhem, while color-coded speech bubbles and crisp text guide early readers through the three chapters. Drawing instructions are included, so look for artistic buck teeth, flailing appendages, and, perhaps, a rampage from inspired youngsters. Hugo's transformations should resonate with kids who appreciate happy chaos and those whose imaginations defy the laws of the real world.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this rollicking chapter book series opener, Roselló (the Red Panda & Moon Bear series) eschews heavy-handed messages about lessons learned and evokes the high energy of Maurice Sendak's Max via Hugo, a rambunctious boy. After Hugo, portrayed with tan skin, somehow animates Dino, his stuffed blue dinosaur, he himself transforms into a red reptile with yellow spikes. Together, Hugo and Dino merrily rampage through the house until every room is in shambles. When Dino karate chops through a wall and into the backyard with a rousing shout of "Freedom!" the duo turn their attention to digging holes. They unearth a crown-wearing, sword-wielding skeleton called the Cursed Skeleton King, whose hidden treasure turns out to be a disappointing bounty of toys and candy rather than precious jewels. Once Hugo realizes the extent of the damage that his antics have caused, the trio work together to repair his home. Simple, limited dialogue paired with Roselló's round and bouncy illustrations, depicted in an animated style reminiscent of The Amazing World of Gumball, will surely win over young readers and sow excited anticipation for the next installment. Ages 4--8. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Eric Murphy Literary. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--From the author/illustrator who brought us Red Panda & Moon Bear comes a new series. Roselló, inspired by his own son's imagination, creates Hugo, the Super Magic Boy. Hugo starts his day by transforming his stuffed animal dinosaur and himself into real dinosaurs. Their first order of business is to "rampage" through the whole house, which results in broken furniture and a huge hole in a wall. The next chapter finds the duo outside and digging. They break a water main, electrical lines, and finally unearth a cursed skeleton king and his treasure. A battle ensues with our heroes first running away but then defeating the cursed king. They gain the treasure but are disappointed when it contains jewels and coins. Dino wanted plants and Hugo wanted toys and candy! Next, Dino teaches Hugo how to roar, resulting in massive damage to the house. Hugo transforms back into himself to fix the mess with Dino, and even Cursed Skeleton helps put everything back, allowing the adventure to continue. Varied panel shapes, bold colors against white backgrounds, and easy-to-read dialogue balloons keep the action and humor moving. A bonus chapter includes how to draw Hugo and Dinosaur and how to transform! VERDICT Highly recommended for libraries serving young children. Give this title to fans of Bob Shea's "Ballet Cat" and Ben Clantaon's "Narwhal and Jelly."--Elisabeth LeBris
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A boy and his toy dinosaur explore their powers of pretend in a smashing romp. Spaghetti-limbed Hugo begins a conversation with his googly-eyed toy dinosaur, who subsequently comes to life in spectacular fashion. Hugo gleefully transforms into a dinosaur to wreak havoc alongside his toy. In short order, they smash through a wall, dig a deep hole in the yard (damaging water mains and power lines in the process), and battle the spooky yet adorable Cursed Skeleton King. Hugo soon realizes the extent of their destruction and returns to human form to make the necessary repairs. The pair's restoration efforts are as comedically broad as the rampage--super-gluing large furniture and refitting a tree together like a jigsaw puzzle--and the results show every crack. This first entry in Roselló's new series is bubbly and joyful, full of dynamic crashes, literal sparks of electricity, and full-throated roars. The duo's efficient dialogue, situated somewhere between Mo Willems' simple sentences and Dav Pilkey--like irreverence, will hold great appeal for beginning and reluctant readers. Winks to the realities of managing dinosaurlike children will offer great amusement for adult caregivers as well. Hugo, brown-skinned when in human form, is cued as Latine. A high-energy celebration of a delightfully rambunctious childhood. (drawing guide for characters) (Graphic fiction. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
