Bought as a Christmas present for
my son, I couldn’t resist reading this myself. Tapping into many boys’ love for
big reptiles and even bigger battles, Super
Dinosaur relates the adventures of juvenile genius Derek Dynamo, son of
Doctor Dexter Dynamo, and his best friend, the anthropomorphized, weaponized
Super Dinosaur (SD for short!), a relatively small, genetically engineered
T-Rex who fires missiles frequently, wears gym shorts occasionally and bathes
when necessary; but who, despite his bravado, is a sensitive, sometimes lonely
soul. Conspiring against this team are black-bearded villain Max Maximus and
his band of playfully named dino-men: Tricerachops, Breakeosaurus, Dreadasaurus
and others. Conspiring against everyone
is The Exile, a sinister figure with a grudge against humanity. As anticipated, the action is almost constant; onomatopoeic
explosions crater the pages. The artwork is crisp, the colors bright, the detailed
illustrations of SD’s robotic suits and gizmos particularly appealing, and the story
touches on some pertinent political and personal concerns—ageing, dementia,
bereavement, environmental damage, nuclear war—in a way younger readers will
identify with. And it ends with an unexpected twist which will leave them eager
for volume two…
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