The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
emiged's review against another edition
4.0
Fun, fun book, especially for kids who like dinosaurs and sports. I'm impressed with the rhyming couplets throughout the book. Sometimes that format is awkward as authors try to force rhymes or invert sentence structure to make things work, but Ms. Wheeler did an admirable job of making the text flow naturally. The illustrations have character and fun details. And there are some great hockey-specific touches - like the diplodocus getting slashed in the shins or the allosaur being late for the check.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
wolfiegrrrl's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
There isn't much in the way of real plot for this Dino Sports series, but the rhymes are fun.
It's a nice way to introduce different types of dinosaurs to kids who are interested in learning their names. But aside from just listing names, showing basic size differences, and categorizing the dinosaurs as meat-eaters and plant-eaters... it's very surface level.
I can't even say these books are that great at explaining the sports these dinosaurs are participating in. It's pretty clear that this series is for kids who already know the terminology well enough to understand what's happening in the story. Older kids will probably have an easier time of parsing it out, but younger kids are definitely more invested in looking at the pictures and learning whether the meat-eaters or the plant-eaters are going to win this time!
I will say that the concept of this dinosaur fantasy world is fascinating. I'm particularly interested in the fact that the meat-eaters keep trying to eat the plant-eaters during the hockey game... and everyone just accepts this as a risk they're willing to take for entertainment. The poor Dodo is trying his best to referee for the game and it was admittedly hilarious that this tiny bird kept locking these larger dinosaurs in penalty boxes like they're rabble-rousing children.
It's a nice way to introduce different types of dinosaurs to kids who are interested in learning their names. But aside from just listing names, showing basic size differences, and categorizing the dinosaurs as meat-eaters and plant-eaters... it's very surface level.
I can't even say these books are that great at explaining the sports these dinosaurs are participating in. It's pretty clear that this series is for kids who already know the terminology well enough to understand what's happening in the story. Older kids will probably have an easier time of parsing it out, but younger kids are definitely more invested in looking at the pictures and learning whether the meat-eaters or the plant-eaters are going to win this time!
I will say that the concept of this dinosaur fantasy world is fascinating. I'm particularly interested in the fact that the meat-eaters keep trying to eat the plant-eaters during the hockey game... and everyone just accepts this as a risk they're willing to take for entertainment. The poor Dodo is trying his best to referee for the game and it was admittedly hilarious that this tiny bird kept locking these larger dinosaurs in penalty boxes like they're rabble-rousing children.
peachani's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
jmshirtz's review against another edition
4.0
While I'm generally not a big hockey fan, I would definitely watch the Meat-Eaters play the Veggiesaurs!
marc_lucke's review against another edition
4.0
This whole series is worth a look, partly for the zany illustrations but also for Wheeler's playful approach to storytelling. The books are fun to read and the images pair well with the frenetic, slightly off-kilter tone of her writing.
So far, Dino-Hockey is my favourite, but I'm probably biased toward the national sport.
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