Dinosaurs to the Rescue!: A Guide to Protecting Our Planet (Dino Life Guides for Families) - Hardcover

Marc Brown, who was born in Erie, Pennsylvania in 1946, received great encouragement and support from his grandmother and uncle. Inspired by the books of Maurice Sendak, Brown decided to pursue his ambition of becoming an illustrator. After receiving a B.F.A. in painting from the Cleveland Institute of Art, he worked as a TV art director, a professor of mechanical drawing, and a freelance illustrator, before becoming a writer. In his books, he addresses the fears and problems which children face and events like friendship, family, school and pets. For his illustrations, Brown uses pencil with watercolor on a variety of papers to achieve different visual effects. The "Arthur" series, about the everyday adventures of a lovable aardvark, began in 1976 and continues to this day with 25 titles published. Brown has also created other series such as the "Rhymes" series, and the nonfiction "Dinosaur" series, which conveys messages of do's and don'ts. These series, like the stories of Arthur, hold the attention of young children while transporting their imaginations on magical journeys.

Kindergarten-Grade 4-- The Browns' sensible, cavorting dinosaurs are back again, this time regaling readers with some advice on how they can rescue our ailing Earth. In this latest foray into social issues, the authors present major environmental problems with such practical, easy, and entertaining solutions that children will be enthusiastic from the very beginning. The first page introduces Slobosaurus who is ``full of excuses for why he can't use less, use things again, and give something back to the earth.'' Succeeding pages show the boorish way he reacts by tossing his empty soda can on the ground, wasting water, using electricity unwisely or unnecessarily, etc. Plants, animals, and insects, too, are given a place in this environmental treatment. Each framed watercolor cartoon is bursting with activity showing the busy, happy creatures going about their daily routines with Slobosaurus sulking somewhere in the action. He is finally convinced by the hardworking dinosaur children that his help is indeed needed because . . . ``protecting our beautiful planet is a big job. Every one of us can help!'' This author/illustrator team knows precisely how to hit the mark for young readers, and their newest venture is no exception. --Mary Lou Budd, Milford South Elementary School, OH
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.