Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Dinosaur Woods: Can Seven Clever Critters Save Their Forest Home?
Illustrator: George McClements
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 7
Beach Lane Books, 2009 ISBN: 978-1416986263
Rojo, Luke, Milton, Jimo, Knot, Richard and Rachel are in deep trouble. The woods where they live are going to be cut down in just a few days by people who want to build a factory there. The animals will be homeless, and they don’t know where they will go. The animals try to talk to the humans who are “responsible” for the project, but no one will listen to them. Rojo the fox decides that they need something “BIG” to get the people’s attention.
Then Rojo sees an advertisement for a display of lifelike robotic dinosaurs. Rojo is inspired. Surely if they can create a dinosaur, then the factory people won’t be able to cut down the woods.
With a most unexpected ending and its environmental message, this picture book will delight young children who like to see ‘the good guys’ win. Delightfully creative multimedia paper collage illustrations perfectly capture the charming oddness of the characters in the story.
