The Mine-O-Saur
by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Illustrated by David Clark
I fell in love with the Mine-O-Saur before I even opened the book - David Clark's cover art of a
glowering dinosaur huddled over a pile of blocks with his arms filled with toys was the perfect picture of the
preschool sharing-impaired. The other goggle-eyed dinosaurs play a perfect foil to the Mine-o-saur with their
softer colors and fretful glances. The story itself isn't overflowing with surprises, the Mine-O-Saur hogs toys
until no one will play with him, then discovers he's miserable, all alone, in his overflowing land of toys. So
the Mine-O-Saur decides to share - but will the other dinosaurs accept him as a friend? Since sharing is a
major challenge to young children, the Mine-o-saur will certainly offer a painless (and truly funny) life
lesson. He speaks in rhyme, which is another preschool pleaser and the book is definitely a pleasure to read
aloud. But as nice as the text is, it's the illustrations which really carry the day here with their wonderful
composition and use of color - and their whimsy. Clark repeatedly shows the Mine-o-saur isolated from the
others by his own choices, and yet - his color and lively expressions never let the little dinosaur fail to
take center stage in the reader's eye. The Mine-o-saur is definitely a charming and very funny addition to
the book collection of any young Mine-o-saur, and a book I expect will slip into many preschool story hours.
It's definitely a keeper. |
The Book |
G.P. Putnam's Sons |
September 2007 |
Hardcover [Reviewed in ARC] |
0399246428 / 9780399246425 |
Children's Picture Book |
More at Amazon.com |
Excerpt |
NOTE: |
The Reviewer |
Jan Fields |
Reviewed 2007 |
NOTE: Reviewer Jan
Fields is the editor of Kid Magazine Writers emagazine and has written dozens of
stories and articles for the children's magazine market. |
|