Jurassic Classics: The Prehistoric Masters of Literature

Classic authors meet dinosaurs in this idiosyncratic mashup. Lacey profiles six prehistoric predecessors to well-known authors (William Shakespearasaurus, the Brontësaurus Sisters, Edgar Allan Terrordactyl, etc.), with glued-in minibooks providing ultra-abridged versions of the authors’ works (“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a dinosaur in possession of a large territory shall attract many mates,” begins Jane Austenlovenator’s Pride and Prejudice). Balancing out the quirky fictitious profiles are ones featuring the actual authors (Dickens and Twain round out the half dozen writers). But while Isik’s cartoon portraits are entertaining, Lacey’s decision to make the lives (and literary output) of the prehistoric “authors” closely echo that of their real-life counterparts is more confusing than funny, and leaves much of the book feeling repetitive. It’s a nifty idea that doesn’t live up to its potential. Ages 7–11. (June)