by Cheryl Bardoe, Illustrated by Doug Kennedy

Abrams Books for Young Readers, $16.95, 32 pages

It’s always fun to see a classic redone with dinosaurs. The Ugly Ducking Dinosaur is the classic tale about how we need to find what group we belong to, but with dinosaurs. It’s a fun little prehistoric romp, with an educational twist: It shows various dinosaurs and other creatures from the Paleozoic era as the tyrannosaur goes from group to group looking for the species to which he belongs.

The art is beautiful, although it looks a little blurry. However, the dinosaurs and others are very cute, with all of the right expressions adding to the cuteness factor; the expressions are a major part of the fun. The quest is a neat framing device here as it allows kids to see the differences between the dinosaurs more easily, especially when the tyrannosaur tries to mix in with the different groups. There is an added section on the dinosaurs, which will be interesting for its more realistic appearance and background on the dinosaurs featured in the story. This is a great book for kindergarteners, especially as a book to curl up with on a rainy day.

Reviewed by Jamais Jochim