Synopsis
Max Spaniel is a daffy hound dog who one day decides to go on a dinosaur dig. But what Max thinks are dinosaur parts is just a lot of junk--or is it? As Max puts his fossils together, readers will see how the random objects Max finds--including a football, a hockey stick, and an old boot--transform into a living dino!
New readers will laugh out loud as they follow the fantastical thoughts of this wacky hound. The ingenious story, by David Catrow, is easy to read with lots of visual humor.
Children's Literature
Despite his floppy spaniel ears, Max insists he is not a dog; he is a hunter, on the trail of dinosaurs. After searching through his delightfully cluttered house (note, for instance, the fully dressed hot dog perched on the toy train engine) for just the right equipment to take along, Max heads outside to his yard to find material to construct his dinosaur. "I spy an eye," he says, holding up a bottle cap, and he uses other found objects—a rake, a football, a tricycle and more—to assemble a towering, gangly creature that satisfyingly strikes fear into the heart of the previously scoffing cat. This first book in a projected series about Max is also the first book that Catrow, a children's book illustrator, has both written and illustrated, and it is a real treat. His colorful, exuberant illustrations (a bit reminiscent of Stephen Kellogg's work) are filled with clever details and humor, and the words add to the fun: "Here are two lips," Max puns, holding a tulip in his mouth. The creativity and lively spirit of both Catrow and Max's creations will be greatly appreciated by beginning readers. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick