January 23, 2017
Popular children’s musician Berkner (The Story of My Feelings) brings another of her songs to the picture book crowd with this vibrant adaptation. Berkner’s lyrics provide a rowdy framework for the story—“We are the dinosaurs,/ marching, marching./ We are the dinosaurs—/ whaddaya think of that?”—and Clanton’s (Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea) zippy cartoons create a parallel visual adventure that brings Berkner’s words to life. Rainbow-colored young dinosaurs, outlined with a chunky black line and wearing neckerchiefs like a kind of Mesozoic scouting troupe, bid farewell to their parents and march over a hill, through a river, and up a mountain. All along their trek, dialogue asides in the art keep readers in the action: “Uh-oh! Time to go!” says a yellow triceratops as the mountain they’ve been resting in starts to rumble, sending the dinos on a quick march home. Berkner’s fans and newcomers alike should find much to enjoy about in these boisterous, independent-minded dinosaurs’ adventure. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary.
January 15, 2017
Here be dinosaurs. When adapting a song to a picture-book format, the source material should have the same natural rise and fall of action as a literary text. Some songs take to their newfound formats like a fish to water, while others, like Berkner's here, are left gasping for air. Working a plot onto the plotless lyrics of the titular song, pictures and added dialogue send five little dinosaurs on a hike up a mountain. The cartoony crew stomps, stops to eat, climbs, and goes to sleep in a mountaintop cave before running heck-for-leather back down to avoid a volcanic demise. Plenty of dialogue assists the text, though the lyrics of the song provide the story's backbone. Readers already familiar with the music will enjoy the lively adaptation, but for new fans, the lure of dinosaurs may not be enough to sustain their interest. Much of the heavy lifting is performed by Clanton, whose wide-eyed, perky dinosaurs attempt to hang a plot on Berkner's upbeat, repetitive lyrics, with limited success. Though there is initial lip service paid to the repeated assertion that the dinosaurs "make the earth flat," depiction of the dinosaurs on the lumpy incline of the mountain will puzzle readers. Oddly, for a book so reliant on familiarity with Berkner's song, no CD or online link to the music is included (though "We Are the Dinosaurs" sheet music is printed on the book's back cover, where it will likely be inaccessible to library users). In a market teeming with terrible reptiles, this book earns itself a big di-NO. (Picture book. 3-6)
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April 1, 2017
PreS-Gr 1-The marching rhythm of Berkner's hit tune comes through in this playful picture book adaptation. The simple, repetitive lyrics (-We are the dinosaurs, /marching, marching. We are the dinosaurs-/whaddaya think of that?-) are transformed through brilliant illustrations by Clanton into a story about a troop of young dinosaurs going on an explorative adventure. While some of the lyrics don't quite match up with the illustrations (the visuals depict the dinos napping in a volcanic cave, not in a nest), the plot contains enough of an arc that it makes sense as a whole. The mixed-media dinosaurs are part David Ezra Stein's Dinosaur Kisses, part Gus, the Dinosaur Bus, with a big dose of Clanton's bold and adorable style. He includes just the right touch of anthropomorphism and accessories to give each dinosaur and parent unique personalities without making the book over-the-top. The simple lyrics are supplemented heavily by animal asides, which can sometimes overwhelm the page. Upon first read, the excess words may present a challenge and disrupt the natural and fun rhythm of the lyrics. But once the reading flow is established, this title will be read over and over. VERDICT A catchy narrative that will stick in readers' heads. A great purchase for most picture book collections, and a fun choice for preschool storytimes.-Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2018
The lyrics to children's musician Berkner's catchy tune are a poor choice for the picture book treatment: without music, they're repetitive and shapeless ("We are the dinosaurs, marching, marching. We are the dinosaurs. We make the earth flat. We make the earth flat"). Alongside the colored-pencil, acrylic, and watercolor art, the cartoonish dinos' numerous asides (e.g., "Ready to march?") are visually distracting.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)