Too Many Dinosaurs

You know the story. Boy wants pet; boy can’t have pet; boy magically finds dinosaur; dinosaur wreaks havoc; boy magically makes dinosaur go away. There’s nothing wrong with a familiar premise if an author finds new life in it, and for kids who haven’t seen this sort of thing before (especially those who have outgrown Mayer’s Little Critter), there are several spreads that ought to make them sit up and take notice. Most of these occur after the hero has obtained a “dinosaur horn” that not only summons his runaway triceratops but also all the other—and bigger—dinosaurs that have somehow been lurking unseen in the suburban landscape. On these pages, Mayer employs dramatic framings and exhibits some impressive draftsmanship, giving a scary/comic twist to the term “invasive species.” But most of the book is marked by enervated storytelling (“I had a feeling that my dinosaur had come this way. Then I found him”), too easy solutions (the horn handily makes the dinos vanish, too), and a surprisingly underwritten hero. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)