School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-A tiny gray bear goes to the library every Tuesday, but this week is special. Today she gets her own card. She approaches the librarian, portrayed as a gangly green bird with orange hair and a large beak, gets her card, and looks for a book on dinosaurs. Once it is found, Beverly takes it to the desk and is reminded by Mrs. Del Rubio that it is due on April 7th. Woe is Beverly. April 7th comes and goes, and her book is now late. Her friends tell frightening tales of how she might end up in jail or have to pay a $1000 fine. In the youngster's nightmare, the librarian even morphs into a green triceratops promising to "gobble [her] up" if she doesn't return the book. Happily, when the overdue item is returned, Mrs. Del Rubio notices that it's only two days late and reminds her young borrower to "be more careful next time." There isn't even a fine to pay. Best of all, Beverly makes a new friend who also likes dinosaurs. In addition to the book's weak plot, this librarian is too stereotypical to be believable. She's gawky, bespectacled, and underautomated. As a result, it's unlikely that this title will be a favorite choice for storytimes, class visits, or other presentations. Done in gouache and ink, the illustrations are simple, flat, and purposely two-dimensional. They mimic a childish hand. They're acceptable accompaniments to the story and not overpowering. Unfortunately, the plot, with its central theme of fears and nightmares over an overdue book, is not engaging.-Roxanne Burg, Thousand Oaks Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
"This sympathetic tale of a budding bibliophile will be reassuring for those experiencing their first bittersweet taste of independence," according to PW. Ages 3-7. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
