Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4^-7. The conversation begins innocently enough: "What if that rock under your bed isn't a rock at all?" Soon Edward's manipulative older brother has poor Edward worried sick over the notion that a dinosaur egg is about to hatch under the bed. He assures Edward, "It'll eat like a garbage truck. And SOMEREVIEW will have to change its diaper." Told completely in dialogue, the story starts on a humorous note, then takes a slightly scary turn as Edward is told that the baby dinosaur's relatives will hunt him down and "drag the little egg-stealer, kicking and screaming, right out of bed!" Hilarious cartoon illustrations will win over kids with the wonderfully animated expressions and a nice balance of humor and goosebumps. Great for a dinosaur-themed story time or a library sleepover. --Lauren Peterson
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Edward is calmly reading a dinosaur book when his brother interrupts him to point out a rock under his twin bed. "What if it's a DINOSAUR EGG... and it hatches, Edward?" the older boy asks. Edward hides under the covers as his tormentor describes a baby T. rex that would "eat like a garbage truck" and possibly attack certain little boys ("A big, crazy moon makes dinosaurs REALLY mad, Edward. SO mad that they forget who their friends are"). However, as the title foreshadows, the tale comes back to haunt its teller. Edward, dozing off, informs his overconfident brother that "if you're asleep they'll think you're dead and will grab... someone else!" Hartmann and Daly (previously paired for All the Magic in the World) effectively mimic two children who know each other's worst fears; the older kid even leans closer and raises his voice when he suspects Edward of napping. Producing jittery panels and spreads, Daly uses a palette of sludgy blue, gray and green watercolors to detail the threatening yet ethereal dinos of the boys' imaginations. Edward's shaky words appear hand-lettered in voice bubbles, while the brother's reasoned and sinister voice is represented in mechanical type. Although this book overlaps with generic what-if-I-had-a-pet-dinosaur stories, it will resonate strongly with those who have suffered from teasing siblings. Ages 3-7. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3Edward's big brother's attempt to scare him backfires. The older boy taunts and teases Edward, suggesting that the rock under his bed is really a dinosaur egg. The spare text is a series of suggestions to Edward about what it would be like to raise a dinosaur only to have it go mad in the light of a full moon, forgetting who its friends are, "Then they go looking for little boys who steal dinosaur eggs! They drag the little egg-stealer, kicking and screaming, right out of bed!" This story of an older sibling terrorizing the younger is as old as time, and the payback here is satisfying, as the older brother ends up terrifying himself while the younger boy remains peacefully asleep. But, even in this day of R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike, and despite Hartmann and Daly's obvious tongue-in-cheek tone, some children might be frightened by this tale. The cartoon illustrations are humorous, but the somber colors reinforce the foreboding mood (the endpapers are especially heavy) as the tension builds with out-of-control dinosaurs rampaging through the town in search of Edward. Though the boys are in their beds while this tale unfolds, this is definitely not a bedtime story. It is, however, a slyly funny look at overactive imaginations and brotherly relationships.Susan Garland, Maynard Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A teasing bedtime story told by Edward's older brother describes what life would be like for young Edward if the rock under his bed was actually a dinosaur egg. When the story begins to get scary, Edward cleverly turns the tables and puts his brother at the mercy of the dinosaur and his dino friends. The hilarious illustrations add fun details to this story that younger siblings will especially appreciate. From HORN BOOK 1997, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
It's bedtime and Edward's older brother is attempting to scare Edward out of his pajamas. What, his brother posits, if that rock under his bed is really an egg--a dinosaur egg--and it hatches? Big brother spells out the scenario: Edward will have to change its diapers and teach it manners: ``Bottoms off the table! Don't pick your nose! Stop making rude noises in bed!'' That's not the half of it, Edward's brother asserts, for during a full moon, the dinosaurs gather to avenge themselves on little boys who steal dinosaur eggs. There's a topsy-turvy comeuppance: Edward's brother works himself into such a froth that he believes his own tale and is snatched by dinosaurs, even as Edward drifts confidently off to sleep after mentioning something about ``bossy brothers who can't tell a rock from a dinosaur egg.'' This rollicking story from Hartmann and Daly (who also collaborated on All the Magic in the World, 1993) builds wonderfully to its climax, aided all the way by the swarming, vivid artwork. Pair it with Chris Raschka's The Blushful Hippopotamus (1996) for a story hour on dealing with overbearing siblings. (Picture book. 5-9)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by School Library Journal Review
Review by Horn Book Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
