I'm Big!

Looking big is a strategy used often in the wild, and readers will be happy to see it work for this essentially gentle giant, from whom the fanged, clawed, spiked, yet puny bullies turn tail.

A purple sauropod finds that his herd has left him behind in the McMullans' (I'm Bad!) slangy, loosely rhymed story about discovering one's strengths. Along his journey, the long-necked sauropod meets dinos of all shapes and sizes, and when faced with claws, fangs, and spikes, he realizes that he's "a whole lotta lizard!" and uses what he's got to scare his enemies away ("I'm a mountain on the move! I am thunder comin' at you"). All's well at the end of the day ("Sure feels good bein' with my biggies"), but it's unlikely the dino or readers will soon forget such a big adventure. Ages 48. (Sept.)

Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1--A late-waking sauropod finds himself alone and asks some prehistoric beasts if they have seen his herd. Suddenly, he runs into toothy, clawy predators and knows he's in big trouble. He's too heavy to run, too big to hide, and has no good fighting body parts. But then he realizes that with his huge dimensions, he can bluff and scare the carnivores away. In the process, he spots the footprints of his herd, resulting in a joyful reunion. This tale of a young dinosaur finding his inner power is told through childlike vernacular with varying type sizes and colors to emphasize mood. The full-color watercolor illustrations feature plenty of action and multiple perspectives as the cheeky, pink, purple, and blue protagonist seeks out others of his kind. Perfect as a read-aloud or a read-alone, this story about a lost youngster finding his courage and his mojo will secure a welcome place in the vast herd of picture books available.--Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.