Michelle Blanchard Ardillo

Hmmm, let me see. What would happen if you combined the universally beloved topic of dinosaurs with something that is not always universally beloved? Something like…math? This is the premise behind Stemosaurus by Andrew Root and illustrated by Mark Chambers.

I must admit my knowledge of dinosaurs is scarce, and I probably couldn’t name many different types outside of those I learned in Michael Crichton’s masterpiece Jurassic Park. So, when I started reading this book, I thought, is Stemosaurus a real dinosaur or made-up for this book? Does it matter? Probably not, and since I soon learned that this particular dinosaur, Spike, was very interested in math, well, I put it all together, and realized Andrew Root had created a type of dinosaur to promote STEM in children’s literature.

This adorable children’s picture book will delight all those little children who love dinosaurs, and don’t most little children love dinosaurs? An entire entertainment empire was built upon a big ole’ purple T-Rex named Barney. I know how much Barney was beloved in our household, especially by our younger daughter who started humming the Barney theme song way before she could talk.

PROS:

The illustrations are delightful, bright and colorful, almost leaping off the page. I love the use of arrows, tying the dialogue to the illustration. This simple device helps to reinforce the STEM-like appeal.

The storyline is interesting, teaching the lesson that sometimes group work is what is needed to complete a task. In this story, the muscles, height, and speed of Spike’s friends won’t be a match for the meteor barreling towards Earth. It will take something else, Spike’s math skills! This is a great teaching moment!

CONS:

While the storyline is interesting, the ending just … ends. There isn’t much between Spike’s great idea and the conclusion. I wish it would have been developed a bit more, and if not, then at least a few more pages about the time after the Time Machine lands in the future. How did humans react to the dinosaurs coming back to Earth? What happened next?

All in all, a really fun read and one I would love to share with my favorite little humans. I’ll be recommending this to my school’s librarian! I know it will be on the “frequently checked out list” as soon as it hits the shelf!

Thank you to NetGalley and Two Lions for the ARC of this book. Remember: Team Work is Dream Work!