Dinotrux by Chris Gall
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Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT -- School Library Journal, 6/3/2009
GALL, Chris. Dinotrux. illus. by author. unpaged. CIP. Little, Brown. June 2009. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-02777-9. LC 2008027531.
PreS-Gr 2–What if the prehistoric ancestors of today’s mega-utility trucks and 18-wheelers were really dinosaurs? This zany and riotous ride spoofs the evolutionary roots of contemporary trucks. Gall’s posterlike spreads, rendered in strong black line and fiery, bold colors, use every square inch of space to convey the energy and witty detail of a dangerous ancient world in which part truck, part dinosaur creatures ruled. Chomping, digging, honking, and rolling, such fearsome creatures as "Craneosaurus," "Dumploducus," and "Blacktopadon" were huge, hungry, and decidedly unhelpful, scaring every caveman and cavewoman in sight. A million years later, a terrible storm doomed these crossbreed vehicles to a slow, rusty decline, sending a few hardy survivors on their way south in search of better weather and a more cooperative way of life. Modern-day descendants of the ancient "dinotrux" are on the job in many helpful ways–but a visual joke on the last page underscores that those in museum displays might not be so extinct after all. Blending the endless appeal of dinosaurs and trucks in one hilarious volume, this title will be hard to keep on the shelves.
