Reviews

Gr 1-5-A first-time author/illustrator gets it right with this kitschy tale of a lonely dinosaur in search of an "amigo exactly like himself." Gwango's encounters with each potential friend introduce readers to the landscape of the American Southwest as he comes across a bear from a traveling circus, a gleaming Santa Fe train, a Tiki next to a Polynesian motor hotel, a hot-pink family RV, and, finally, the projectionist at a deserted drive-in movie theater. Peppered with colorful comparisons, Spanish words, and exclamations like "Holy mackerel," "Hot dog," and "Jiminy Christmas," the text is perfect for reading aloud. Handsome desert-hued paintings with the feel of multilayered block prints complement this retro tale. Gwango's red body with squiggly blue stripes and his toothy grin add a further sense of playfulness. Kids will immediately relate to his attempts to befriend inanimate objects and laugh at his guacamole breath. A great choice for science teachers supplementing North American archaeology lessons, parents seeking snazzy works for parent read-aloud day, and most picture-book collections.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Fans can find out what's happening with their favorite series and characters this summer. A million-copy printing and one-day laydown (August 15) marks the eighth adventure of the notorious caped BVD crusader: Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People by Dav Pilkey. George and Harold's time-traveling Purple Potty transports them to a world populated by kind teachers and where students dine on gourmet cafeteria food. But things grow even more bizarre when Crackers and Sulu are petknapped from the heroes' locker by their evil twins. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.