Pizzasaurus

PreS-Gr 2–In their first collaboration, ­Sauer (Mary Had a Little Glam) and Beckett (How the North Pole Works) deliver a joyous introduction to a pizza-obsessed dinosaur Pizzasaurus. The narrator describes the incredible qualities of this lesser-known species, while the other dinosaurs insert humorous comments about pizza and their own best features. Just as the original dinosaurs are beginning to feel left out, ­Pizzasaurus expands his spotlight to include all his friends in a pizza party. Text is divided between traditional blocks of prose for the narration and word bubbles for the dinosaurs’ contributions. Wording is clever and includes a repetitive phrase that is great for audience participation. Pictures are drawn in an earthy jewel-toned palette and caricature style that fits well with the silly tone of the words. Beckett’s technique of featuring a muted monochrome background makes the characters in the foreground pop. A bonus “I Spy” opportunity is presented in an unnamed insect character that can be found doing something complementary to the story on every page.