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Dinosaur Dreams.
Kerry Westell. Illustrated by Scot Ritchie.
Preschool - grade 3 / Ages 3 - 8. * /4
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If children like up-beat books with lots of life, energy and vitality,
they won't like Dinosaur Dreams. The 77 words in this book lack
imagination and do little to stimulate a child's sense of creativity or
fun. The premise is somewhat intriguing: If we were descended from
dinosaurs would we dream dinosaur dreams? Now I don't know how many
youngsters will understand the word descended, but once mom or dad has
explained it to them, they'll discover that dinosaurs dream, for example,
of fog. Not fuzzy fog, or fingers of fog, just fog. Likewise they dream of
bubble baths, not bubbly baths or soap-n-suds. Now there is something cute
about seeing a dinosaur in the tub with bubbles over its belly but even
then the artwork lacks imagination. Given the subject the illustrator
could have created fun-loving creatures in weird and wonderful sizes and
shapes doing weird and wonderful contortions. He didn't. Rather the
dinosaur is doing about what any little boy or girl would do in the tub.
Even the pastel and subdued shades of the illustrations hamper the images
from leaping off the page and into our hearts. It certainly won't take
long to read Dinosaur Dreams. That, unfortunately, is its best
feature.
Not Recommended.
Donalee Moulton, Halifax, Nova Scotia .
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © 1997 the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - May 9, 1997.
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