Publishers Weekly
The creator of Dem Bones digs up another set of rattling fine specimens for this splashy expedition into the world of fossils. A simple poem ("Dinosaurs are gone for good./ Maybe dinosaurs once lived in your neighborhood!") serves as an umbrella framework for a lesson on prehistoric favorites. Each turn of the page pairs a single stanza in hand-lettered type ("Dinosaurs had teeth to bite and jaws to chew") with an accompanying illustration, while a bite-size piece of additional information in smaller type helps extend the book's appeal to older readers ("The shape of the jaws and teeth help scientists find out if a dinosaur was a meat or plant eater"). The snappy, vigorous rhymes ("They had bones with disks and bones with points,/ bones for running with sockets and joints") propel the production forward, while the artwork, a jazzy blend of pen-and-ink, watercolor, cut and torn paper and computer graphics, creates a tantalizing blend of streamlined shapes and saturated colors. Barner shows each spotlighted dinosaur in both skeletal and living form, and two concluding spreads offer more information in a height chart and "dinometer" chart, fleshing out such questions as "What did it eat?" and "What does its footprint look like?" A splendid introduction to a perennially popular subject. Ages 2-8. (Aug.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1-In a mode similar to Byron Barton's cheerful Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones (HarperCollins, 1990), Barner focuses on the bones themselves (and their fleshy coverings) rather than on their collection. Fancifully created in colorful paper collages, the creatures romp and galumph across the pages to the measure of the simple, rhyming text (bolstered by snippets of facts in a smaller font). A few extra pages of brief data on size, weight, favored comestibles, etc., will be helpful to parents and teachers. However, eagle-eyed dinophiles will be quick to point out that Barner's Brachiosaurus lacks the extra-long forelegs common to its kind, as they enjoy the bouncy rhythms and ebullient artwork.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
With its dazzling colors and big, simple, paper collage forms, this may draw fans of Byron Barton's Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs (1989) and Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bones (1990), but it's strictly an also-ran. Between a lame, large-type rhyme at the top and several lines of commentary in smaller type below each scene, Barner (Fish Wish, 2000, etc.) alternates skeletal and fleshed-out portraits of five popular dinosaurs. Problem is that the skeleton paired with Spinosaurus belongs to some other (unspecified) creature, and-even novice dino fans will puzzle over this one-all of the T. Rexes have flat, plant-eater teeth. Also, Barner will leave most readers none the wiser by rightly noting that some dinosaurs had hips like birds, and some like lizards, but neither showing nor explaining the difference. The design wins no points either; background colors are so saturated that some blocks of text are indistinct, and the "Dino-meter" at the end is not a measurement chart (that appears on the previous spread), but a table of general facts. Give this one a miss. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-7)
APR/MAY 07 - AudioFile
Travel back sixty-five million years to hear about dinosaurs and dinosaur bones. Bob Barner packs much dinosaur food for thought into his book. Not only can one simultaneously listen to and read the text, but one can also enjoy the bold illustrations and accompanying factual information. Barner's rhymes will appeal to young audiences, especially as read by Jerry Dixon. This audio production provides the listener many options—the text itself, the facts themselves, as well as either of the former with or without page-turning prompts. Both younger and early learners will find the right track. Zippy music, including an original song, complete the package. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
