Tinysaurus by Sheryl Webster and Jan Fearnley

Tinysaurus by Sheryl Webster and Jan Fearnley
Buy Tinysaurus by Sheryl Webster and Jan Fearnley at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
Summary: A jolly prehistoric romp, all about what it's like to be too young to be able to do anything. Picture book fans of all ages will love the humour and style. Warmly recommended.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 32	Date: September 2010
Publisher: Andersen Press
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1849390101
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Tinysaurus is fed-up of being little. He's tried all sorts of things to get as big as Mummysaurus, Daddysaurus and Bigsissysaurus, but jumping, stretching and strapping tree trunks to his feet have done nothing to help. He's not allowed to go to places and do things on his own, and he's certainly not allowed to look after Mummysaurus' eggs. Then, one day the ground shakes and a Nastysaurus appears...

What a fun picture book! You can tell from the names the sort of light-hearted humour that is peppered throughout - I particularly chuckled at the volcanic Ooh-Ouch Mountain. As well as raising a smile, they also make the characters and their situation eminently relatable. You don't need to be a younger sibling desperate to grow up to appreciate Tinysaurus, but you do fully understand why he feels like he does. The writing style is crisp and engaging, the plot tight, and the pace ideal for the medium.

Jan Fearnley's illustrations do a great job of setting the tone. They're bright, cartoony and jolly. Even when Nastysaurus is on the rampage and Tinysaurus saves the day, everything feels appropriately gentle and happy - little ones will understand the peril, but won't feel scared by it. There's also plenty of exciting prehistoric wildlife dotted around the pages, which gives it a fresh style all of its own.

Tinysaurus is aimed slap-bang in the middle of picture book world: neither too elaborate for the littlest ones, nor too simplistic for the older ones. In other circumstances, that might limit it to a small target audience, but the quality is such that it's suitable for all young book fans. There's an awful lot to enjoy, and they'll want to read it again and again. Warmly recommended.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

Sheryl Webster's earlier work What Small Rabbit Heard is great fun too. Milo's Pet Egg by Rebecca Elliott also features caring for an egg. If it's dinosaurs you want, check out The Littlest Dinosaur and the Naughty Rock by Camilla Reid and Michael Foreman, Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson, Light-Fingered Larry by Jan Fearnley and The Dirty Great Dinosaur by Martin Waddell and Leonie Lord. Older readers will like Arrrrgh! Slimosaur! by Alan MacDonald.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Tinysaurus by Sheryl Webster and Jan Fearnley at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Tinysaurus by Sheryl Webster and Jan Fearnley at Amazon.com.

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