Industry Reviews
Shea, Bob Dinosaur vs. the Library; written and illus. by Bob Shea. Disney Hyperion, 2011 40p ISBN 978-1-4231-3338-4 $15.99 Ad 2-5 yrs Rowdy, roaring Dinosaur (from Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, BCCB 10/08, etc.) is back, this time on an outing to the library. Along the way he encounters various animals (a cow, baby chicks, a shy turtle, a sad owl) against whom he "wins" by convincing them to quit what they are doing/saying and roar along with him. When Dinosaur gets to the library ("where no one has ever roared before"), he is admonished to "use his inside roar," which he does happily . . . until storytime begins: "BUT WAIT! Can Dinosaur not roar for a whole story?" The last page shows a quiet Dinosaur paying rapt attention to a book while the text claims, "The library wins! Okay, they both win." Dinosaur's shtick is wearing a bit thin here, as his "vanquishing" of the different critters is rather weak (they make their sounds, he roars at them, then they roar, too), and the abrupt end in which Dinosaur actually has to curtail his roaring altogether may relieve the librarians leading storytime (and the parents in attendance), but it will probably disappoint younger fans of the rebellious reptile. Still, Dinosaur is a deservedly popular guy, and Shea's striking, color-saturated digital artwork, accented with thick black outlines and bold-faced text, is definitely a candy-colored feast for the eyes. This would lend itself, naturally, to library storytime use, but might also be considered by parents wanting to prep their obstreperous offspring for a trip to the local library. JH BCCB"
Shea's irrepressible hero returns-stubby, red and toothier than ever. Dinosaur has faced tremendous obstacles in his first few years of growing up (Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, 2008; Dinosaur vs. the Potty, 2010). So far only two things have ever proven to be worthy opponents. Until now. On his way to one of his most favorite places-the library-Dinosaur meets new animal friends. He convinces each one, from a flock of tiny chicks to a shy turtle and a hopelessly sobbing owl, to loudly ROAR along with him. Dinosaur wins every time! (He is no bully though; his opponents are clearly enjoying this roaring game.) But upon reaching the library, Dinosaur is met with an excruciating task. He must be quiet for an entire story. Hands clamped tightly over his mouth and eyes popping with exertion, Dinosaur worries. Can he do it? The power of a story wins! Observant readers will spot familiar characters amid Shea's bold, expressive scrawls, and everyone will cheer the library's success. Story time may have conquered Dinosaur, but with boisterous noise and boundless energy, Shea's Dinosaur titles will never fail to be read-aloud hits. Dinosaur wins again! (Just deny it if he ever asks.) Kirkus"
This third adventure of the roaring red reptile finds the scrappy contender setting out to roar his way to the library. Along the way, Dinosaur makes stealthy advances on a variety of unwary animals and succeeds in recruiting them as roarers, too. However, when he arrives at the library, he is told, "Use your inside roar!" Will Dinosaur be able to restrain himself during storytime? This episode is a bit disjointed compared to the previous ones, and it lacks the appeal of Dinosaur's triumphs over the more-routine childhood nemeses, like bedtime, bath time, and the potty. However children will still enjoy the spunky hero. Young readers will be captivated by the visual feast of bold, black strokes set off by bright primary colors and text that practically jumps off the page. The repetitive roaring makes this book well-suited as an interactive read-aloud. SLJ"
