Publisher’s Weekly
“It takes a dinosaur-themed roller coaster to show a
kid that he has the right stuff. After passing muster with
the "You must be this tall" sign, the young hero
climbs aboard—albeit more reluctantly than his eager
dad (who, in typical goofy dad fashion, is wearing socks with
his sandals). In Luthardt's (Larabee) paintings, however,
the duo undergoes a mien switch after the coaster's first
big drop. For the text, "Sailing at the speed of sound./
Zooming, racing toward the ground," Dad gets an "anywhere
but here" look on his face, while his son responds with
the wide grins and arms-over-head posture of an aficionado.
Newcomer Adams's story unspools in singsongy couplets with
plenty of heavy-duty action words ("Lurching, tilting
up again./ Jerking, rumbling round the bend"). …Luthardt’s
amusement-park palette and boldly geometric acrylics pop with
energy, and he's particularly good at capturing the swooping
black track. …it's a triumph that youngsters won't mind
reliving several times over.”
School Library Journal
“A little boy is finally tall enough to ride the Dino
Coaster. His enthusiastic father coaxes the reluctant child
up the stairs and into the car. When they reach the top and
begin the dizzying descent, however, the roles are reversed,
with the child obviously thrilled and Dad clearly not. When
the ride is over, the boy rushes to get in line again while
his father rests on a bench with a bemused expression on his
face. The text, which consists of brief rhyming couplets,
successfully carries the action. Luthardt’s quirky acrylic
cartoons make effective use of bright colors and crisp lines
and should have substantial child appeal. While not an essential
purchase, the story could be an effective discussion starter
for overcoming fears.”
OC Register
“It’s a looked-forward-to milestone, a boundary
between toddlerhood and kidhood: being tall enough for that
big ride at the amusement park. Yet, for the little boy in
this book, maybe taller isn’t such a good thing. As
his delighted dad leads him toward the Dino Coaster, the boy
looks back, hesitant and worried. “You’ll be fine,”
Dad assures as they’re strapped into the coaster car
and it heads up the track. And sure enough, as the car dips
into the first drop, it’s great. Up and down they go,
through bends and twists and water. The boy loves it, but
Dad has an unexpectedly different reaction. This rhyming book
is reassuring and fun, especially the colorful, comical illustrations
that capture the joy of the ride.”
|
