I really like this book, something about dinosaurs playing basketball gives a unique experience. Like the other Dino-Sports books that have been published it rhymes, has a variety of dinosaurs, and is action-filled. My biggest issue with this book is the inaccuracy or contradictions that are presented with reading. In the book, it is supposed to be march madness and typically how it works is there are teams from that part of the sporty. However, they used March madness (a college basketball event) and had rhymed/derived names from NBA teams.
This book covers the basketball event of the march madness finals and has the red team the meat and the green team the Grass Clippers. The green team ends up getting the ball from tip-off and scores a basket. Green steals the ball from red but red steals it back and they start going for the win. Green team answers to what the red team has done before it becomes halftime. During halftime, there is a performance by cheerleaders/dancers. The green team tries really hard to win the game but it does not happen because players got injured and the red team was really with it today. The Meat end up winning the champion ship game for march maddness. ( )

Sure to be popular with young boys. ( )

“They celebrate – cut down the net. This was their finest season yet.” Thus ends the game between the Red Team (meat loving carnivores), versus the Green Team (veggie loving herbivores). The announcer, in rhyming verse, calls this riveting game full of real-life basketball action: alley-oops, pivots, jumps, fouls, traveling, tending. The Green Team dinosaurs are huge. Stego, Pachy, Tricera, and Jobar are a few of the players. The Red Team, much smaller yet faster, include team-mates Ptero, Raptor, T. Rex and Galli. The illustrations are colorful, animated, and comical in the depiction of dinosaurs as basketball players.

I loved it. The story has excitement, entertaining sports action and emotional coaches. Mid-game there is a half-time show made up of original, rarely, if ever seen, acts like the dinosuar-pyramid, mascots, music and what looks like an Elvis-impersonator dinosaur. The fans sing a very appropriately dinosaur-athlete song. It is wild and fun and everything a half-time show should be. Back to the action in the second half, the heat is on as the dinosaurs ramp up their game. The players become more intense as the end draws near. A few fast plays will keep you on the edge of your seat until the buzzer sounds. The winner cuts down the net and shows off the trophy. The crowd goes wild. You will not be disappointed with this book. Kids will love everything about this story. It is engaging, exciting and unusual. This is the “can’t miss” game of the year.

Note: received galley from Net Galley, courtesy of the publisher ( )

My son (4 years old) and I have enjoyed many of the previous Dino books (Dino-Hockey, Dino-Soccer, Dino-Baseball) by Wheeler, as well as her book Boogie-Knights. This book was a great addition to the series.

Again the Meat-Eaters and the Grass-Clippers take the court in competition to see who will win! With fun rhymes and wonderful pictures this was another great book in the series. My son was very engaged in the book and said that "It was wonderful!"

This whole series of books has been wonderful and combines two things kids (especially little boys) love: sports and dinosaurs. I highly recommend this book if you have a preschooler who is a fan of sports and/or dinosaurs. It is written in rhyme and all of the dinosaur names are highlighted with which team they are on (meat-eater or veggie-eater). A great way for young kids to learn some of the rules behind sports and to learn about dinosaurs.

I do have to say that I think our absolute favorite was Dino-Hockey, but we are pretty big hockey fans. Because Basketball is so high-scoring this book doesn't follow the scoring as well as other books; it is still a ton of fun though and very cleverly done.

Overall another wonderful kids' book by Wheeler. Definitely one to check out if you have little sports or dinosaur fans at home. These are some of my favorite books to read out-loud as an adult because they rhyme in fun ways, have good rhythm, and are just a ton of fun. We will definitely keep checking out this series of kids' books in the future (Looks like Dino-Football is up next)! ( )

Nobody does rhyming picture books like Michigan native Lisa Wheeler. Her latest toe-tapping tale pits plant-eaters against meat-eaters in a championship basketball game. With color-coded rhymes and Gott's vibrant illustrations, this picture book is bound to please those readers who think picture books are sappy and poetry is dumb. Highly recommended. (39) ( )