From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-A young brontosaurus is happily eating trees when he suddenly develops a horrible stomachache. His worried parents rush him to the hospital where an X ray shows that Bronto has accidentally swallowed a little boy (a flashback reveals that Billy had been hiding in one of the trees). The doctor explains that there are three options for expelling the foreign object: one is vomiting ("disgusting, but effective"), two is "-well, we all know what number two is," and three is "gaseous expulsion." Bronto opts for the third choice, and 100 cans of Slurp 'n' Burp soda later, Billy is out and trying to explain his recent whereabouts to his mother. Rendered in pencil, pastel, and gouache, the cartoon illustrations capture the wacky mood and gross humor of the text in a subtle but funny way. One scene shows the X-ray view of Billy landing on a "bed of leafy green slime" in Bronto's stomach, while another captures the creature's pained expression as he is whisked off in the special dinosaur ambulance. The topic, tongue-in-cheek treatment, colorful illustrations, and concluding twist combine to make this book a real crowd-pleaser.
Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, ColumbiaCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Peter Maloney and Felicia Zekauskas (redbirdland.com) are a husband-and-wife team.
