Trouble at the Dinosaur Cafe

It's just another day at this Jurassic-period establishment-until a Tyrannosaurus bully stomps in and demands to be fed off the menu. In other words, he plans to eat the other plant-loving diners: "" 'There's nothing I like more,' he said,/ 'than a tasty dinosaur stew,/ and for extra-special flavor.../ I'll add you/ and you/ and you!' "" But that proves to be wishful thinking. A clandestine phone call summons ""small but deadly"" Terry Triceratops, who promptly takes care of the situation. British artist Parsons's dinosaurs are expressive to the hilt-the T-Rex possesses a particularly impressive repertoire of emotions, from scary to scaredy-cat-and the comics-style framings keep the action at a comic fever pitch. Unfortunately, the playful typography can't compensate for the inconsistent meter and rather bland rhymes. There's no denying that younger readers enjoy seeing a big prehistoric galoot get what's coming to him, but this one may not stand out on a crowded shelf of dino tales. Ages 3-7.