A Mysterious Egg

September 15, 2015
In this series kickoff for dinophiles (and who isn't one?), a Wyoming dig yields an egg that's not exactly fossilized. Despite having to cope with obnoxious cousin Samantha and snoopy Aaron from the adjacent cattle ranch, 9-year-old Frank is thrilled to be summering with his grandparents at their dinosaur museum and dig site. Life takes a particularly exciting turn when his paleontologist grandmother finds a stone egg on ranch land. It not only becomes a bone of contention between her and Aaron's avaricious dad, but hatches in the night, leaving Frank and Sam scrambling to keep little "Peanut"-depicted in the frequent ink-and-wash illustrations as a puppylike hadrosaur with soulful eyes and a stubby tail-secret from the grown-ups. Ultimately, though, the creature must be driven to the vet after chowing down on snack food, and while the adults are gone on that errand, the children work out a way to share ownership. McAnulty keeps characters and situations uncomplicated, and if self-absorbed Samantha comes off as more of a liability than an asset here, perhaps she'll have a chance to redeem herself in future episodes. Adventures in dinosaur husbandry-a bit bland but palatable fare for younger independent readers. (glossary) (Science fantasy. 7-9)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 2-4-Dinosaur-loving kids will enjoy reading this series starter. Frank is spending his summer with his grandparents and his cousin, Samantha, at a dinosaur education center in Wyoming. Close to the center is a dig in progress, and his grandmother discovers an intact dinosaur egg, a rare and exciting find. Frank, whose first book was an ABC dinosaur book, has been fascinated with the giant reptiles for his entire life, and he's thrilled. Unfortunately, Samantha, not a true dinosaur fan, is less than enthused. In the middle of the night after the find, Frank discovers Samantha with a hammer in her hand about to break open the egg. Frank stops her just as the egg begins to hatch. Soon, a baby dinosaur emerges. Frank hides the dinosaur in his room as he and Samantha try to figure out a way to keep the baby dino safe from the cattle rancher who owns the land the egg was found on. Featuring short chapters interspersed with black-and-white illustrations, this fantastical adventure will hold readers' interest. VERDICT Though not as charming as Kate Klimo's "Dragon Keepers" series (Random), this is a fine supplemental addition to chapter book collections.-Kathy Kirchoefer, Henderson County Public Library, NC

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July 1, 2016
Aspiring paleontologist Frank visits his grandma at the Dinosaur Education Center of Wyoming, where a fossilized egg hatches adorable dinosaur Peanut. Frank and bratty cousin Samantha must keep Peanut a secret--first from a greedy neighbor and then from a film crew. Dinosaur enthusiasts will dig the Jurassic Parklite premise, but trite dialogue and weak characters may bore others. Cartoonish illustrations add appeal.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)