The Most Amazing Dinosaur - Hardcover

Stevenson, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688164323 ISBN 13: 9780688164324

Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2000

Synopsis

Wilfred the Rat has found the perfect place to sleep for the night--a big stone building with all the comforts: dinosaur bones, stuffed elephants, and a cafeteria full of tasty sandwiches and pies. "Welcome to the museum!" say unofficial residents Prichett, Leo, Harry, and Buxton. But Mr. Thrawl, the museum director, has other ideas about uninvited guests...until he sees what they can do to earn their keep!

About this title

About the Author:

James Stevenson is an op-ed contributor to the New York Times. His popular column, "Lost and Found New York," has appeared regularly in the newspaper since 2003. He was on the staff of The New Yorker for more than three decades; his work includes 2,000 cartoons and 80 covers, as well as reporting and fiction. He is also the author and illustrator of over 100 children's books. He lives in Connecticut.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3-Wilfred the rat makes an old mansion his temporary shelter on a snowy evening, only to discover that it is filled with tremendous skeletons of every shape and size. Frightened, he stumbles into an owl that explains that they are actually in a museum. Prichett introduces his new acquaintance to the other animals that live there, and they entertain each other as they explore and keep watch out for the curator, Mr. Thrawl. One evening, upon hearing his approach, the occupants hide in a dinosaur skeleton, until one wrong move brings it crashing to the ground. The squatters are kicked out of the museum as the dismayed Mr. Thrawl anticipates the ruin of his career. The next morning, however, an inspection reveals that the dismantled skeleton has been rebuilt into the rarest, most amazing dinosaur ever. The inspectors are thrilled and the curator hires the animals as his assistants. The humor and pacing of this story is absolutely perfect, with the matter-of-fact tone of the text heightened and expanded by Stevenson's quirky watercolor-and-pen illustrations. The story is saved from being one-dimensional and predictable by the fact that the museum head is a totally sympathetic character rather than a stereotypical villain and that Wilfred finds the need to move on to another adventure. This book is bound to please at storytime or anytime.
Tana Elias, Meadowridge Branch Library, Madison, WI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0688164323
• ISBN 13: 9780688164324
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Stevenson James