TARLAU, Amanda (text) Mark Osberg (illus.) Dinosaurs on the Loose! Koala, 2014 unpaged $14.99 pbk ISBN 9781742761114
The opening page ‘There’s a dinosaur loose in the grocery store! He’s rolling down aisles and shaking the floor.’ is followed by other dinosaurs loose in the hardware shop, town café, clothing store, lollipop shop and more. They are all over the town creating havoc until they ‘stumble and bumble back home to bed.’
The rhyming and rhythm are consistent and unforced which helps the text flow smoothly and naturally. The naughty dinosaurs are cheeky and colourful and the cartoon like illustrations have sufficient extra details to invite explanation and discussion. The interplay and frazzled expressions of the various shopkeepers add to the unfolding storyline. The cheerful, quirky front cover invites the young reader to follow the antics of the playful dinosaurs. This book is an enjoyable rollick to share with pre-schoolers.
reviewed by Julie Long