Booklist

Benedict Blathwayt
Dinosaur Chase!
Red Fox 9780099456445
This writer/illustrator's speciality is pictures full of the sort of details that many gleefully explore and here he focuses this skill on the perennially favourite creatures of prehistory. The artwork varies from quarter-page, to half-page and right across double pages for the story of one dinosaur, Fin, being chased by aggressive, hungry, fierce variants. While the central action is lively, every picture also has an authentic background setting to enjoy. Finally it is the fact that Fin has wings and manages to fly out of trouble that saves the day - a very real evolutionary development given a good story treatment.

Julia Donaldson and David Roberts
Tyrannosaurus Drip
Macmillan 9781405090001
Duckbill dinosaurs are the most placid, peaceful and gentle of creatures so when one of their eggs hatches out in the wrong nest, that of the big, fierce, very scary Tyrannosaurus, there's a bit of confusion. In lovely rolling rhyming lines problems such as his preference for munching water weed to the more usual food there mean that his somewhat terrifying big sisters name him Drip. Julia Donaldson, of Gruffalo fame, has come up with another winner and the evocative illustrations by David Roberts have slight hints of both the Clangers and the Moomins about them.

Alan Durant and Jo Simpson
A Dinosaur Called Tiny
HarperCollins 9780007233908
What is striking on glancing through this book is the predominance of blue tones in the pictures and their comic-like style which many youngsters will enjoy. The moral in the tale is obvious but not laboured or hammered home. If you're young, small for your age or species, and can't stick up for yourself you are open to the possibility of being teased and left out of things. That's what happens in this story until Tiny makes friends with the bird-like Archie. As things turn out, it's up to them to effect a rescue together, the rescue of one of those responsible for the tormenting.

Brian Moses and Garry Parsons
Trouble at the Dinosaur Café
Puffin 9780141056994
Tight and bright rhyming drives this tale along with great verve. The Dinosaur Café is quiet and happy until the bullying Tyrannosaurus arrives, demands the foods he loves to eat and threatens that the vegetarian dinosaurs will end up in a stew. They do get into a bit of a stew until a hidden weapon is called into action. The Triceratops, Terry, can butt things three ways in one: a whack - smack - attack backs the bully into a corner and merciless tickling leads to so much laughter that he becomes a reformed character!

Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
How Do Dinosaurs Go To School?
HarperCollins 9780007258178
A fifth book from this team about how dinosaurs might behave covers the ways in which such misfits might not adapt to school life or might be perfect model pupils. While growling in lessons is probably not good, growling at bullies 'till bullying ends' is just right. There's some good behavioural guidance here and as these creatures seem able to do no wrong in any appearance aimed at youngsters everything is acceptably portrayed. Real dinosaur names jostle alongside appropriate made-up ones and the almost old-fashioned style of artwork fits in well. There are some Americanisms here but many will know about yellow buses from watching TV programmes.