Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo: And His Adventures with the Family Lazardo [Hardcover]

William Joyce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1988

When the eccentric Lazardo family stumbles upon a dinosaur while on safari in Africa, they bring him home to live with them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Who says there's no improving on success? Not funnyman author-illustrator William Joyce, who has just added 16 pages of mirth to Dinosaur Bob: And His Adventures with the Family Lazardo (HarperCollins/Geringer, $16, 48p, ages 4-8 ISBN 0-06-021074-5). This expanded version of the popular tale (originally published in 1988) even includes a song: "The Ballad of Dinosaur Bob," sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne." Can the music video be far behind?
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3 This droll tale of dinosaur ``pethood'' will bring to mind various animal predicaments from other books about oversized creatures: Bridwell's ``Clifford the Big Red Dog'' series (Scholastic) for example, or Kellogg's The Mysterious Tadpole (Dial, 1977). Bob the dinosaur is a friendly sort, who plays the trumpet, can scare off burglars, and loves to play baseball. But his playful antics result in trouble when the police arrest him for chasing cars with his dog friends and disturbing the peace. His baseball skills come to the rescue when he helps the Pimlico Pirates win their opening game. Bob is forgiven and joins the Lazardo family in a musical cookout celebration under the stars. The illustrations, more than the plot, are what will stick in readers' minds. Deep, rich colors and Bob's smooth, verdant hide add a sort of dreamy quality to the pictures, which complement the understated humor of the story. The setting seems to be based more on images from old movies than any one era, giving an added dimension of humor. The pictures have a picaresque quality similar to, but not as stylized as, Roy Gerrard's work in The Favershams (Farrar, 1987). Overall, a nice choice for a young child's bedtime story, or an older child's reading and perusal. Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (October 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060230487
• ISBN-13: 978-0060230487
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,696,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A true luminary and creative spirit, William Joyce has put his personal stamp on children's media in every direction. His picture books include George Shrinks, Dinosaur Bob and Santa Calls; he's won three Emmy awards for his Rolie Polie Olie animated series; developed character concepts for Toy Story and A Bug's Life; and his films include Robots and Meet the Robinsons. He's currently co-directing The Guardians for DREAMWORKS, and is producing The Leaf Men, based on his picturebook. He lives in Shreveport, LA, and is the founder of Moonbot Studios.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars larger than life fun, April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo (Reading Rainbow Book) (Hardcover)

William Joyce's exuberant illustrations recall adventure movies of the 1930's, the illustrations of Bruce McCall, and a sort of pre-war sense of possibility that descends directly from the Hudson River school's landscapes. Dinosaur Bob is a natural pet for the impossibly rich yet unspoiled Lazardo family; he's as big as their collective imagination. Arrested for chasing (and picking up) cars), Bob faces deportation back to Afica, only to escape with the Lazardos and return to the town of Pimlico Hills and lead its woeful baseball team to their first victory ever. Don't ask me to explain; just read to your children and then all join in singing the "Ballad of Dinosaur Bob" at the end. This is my four-year-old daughter's favorite book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of our family favorites., December 13, 2004

By 

A Reader (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo (Reading Rainbow Book) (Hardcover)

Both story and illustrations are absolutely first-rate. My children had borrowed the original edition from the library several times so when I found this edition I bought it immediately. It's been a family favorite for several years now. Buy it and you too can go through your days humming "The Ballad of Dinosaur Bob."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wacky Adventure, May 11, 2002

By 

R. Gerlach "R. Marie" (Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo (Reading Rainbow Book) (Hardcover)

...Dinosaur Bob is one of those children's books you just read over and over to your kids. It is funny from start to finish, with Bob the Dino and his family the Lazardos. My boys loved it as kids and will pass it down to theirs.