When Dinosaurs Go Visiting

Combining the ever-popular dinosaur motif with a lesson on etiquette, debut author Martin imagines several of the prehistoric lizards in a contemporary human setting. Here, a suburban dino family dresses in snappy clothes, hops in the convertible and goes to spend a day with friends. Careful observers of modern manners, the reptiles thoughtfully bring a covered dish (omnivore souffle) and help wash the dishes after the main meal. Run-of-the-mill rhymes (``Their friends are glad to see them. / It's a very happy scene, / A house that's full of dinosaurs / So bright and shiny green'') accompany Martin's harmlessly cute cartoons, which depict a biologically unlikely family of a father stegosaurus, a mother tyrannosaurus and their triceratops son. Even peripheral dinophiles may challenge such inaccuracies as the cheerful coexistence of a brontosaurus and a same-size pterodactyl; nevertheless, role-playing dino-wannabes may pick up some pointers on politeness from Martin's fossil-age family. Ages 2-6. (Sept.)