Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt

Digging through the archives...

Did I say I wanted books that were new and fresh? Here they are! It's been a while since I've seen an easy reader that broke away from the classic Frog and Toad form. (Cork and Fuzz, Mouse and Mole, Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa, Houndsley and Catina, Elephant and Piggie, you get the idea). Not since Fly Guy, in fact. But here it is!

David Catrow's first writing effort is a doozy; a plump and wiggly spaniel named Max, who is not a dog is really...a dinosaur hunter! He has many different ways to hunt and lots of equipment, and with a little imagination and the right equipment, he finds dinosaur remains in the most interesting places.

The text is well-suited for a beginning reader, with a little help on long words show more like "dinosaur". The illustrations and text are very closely aligned, each sentence either illustrated or contrasted by its corresponding illustration. This is David Catrow's first book and he's created delightfully silly text to match his exuberant drawings. Max Spaniel is inherently doggie, but he's also every kid, on a great adventure with whatever comes to hand....or paw.

Verdict: Funny, exuberant, and full of Catrow's signature illustrations, this new easy reader series is sure to be popular.

Revisited: Yep, this series is almost as popular as Fly Guy. I've had to replace it several times. Still a popular choice for beginning readers!

ISBN: 978-0545057486; Published August 2009 by Orchard Books; Review copy provided by the publisher for Cybils; Purchased for the library show less

Catrow, D. (2009). Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt. New York: Orchard Books.

0545057485

Appetizer: Max Spaniel is on the case! Kinda. In this early reader (part of a larger Max Spaniel series), Max decides to hunt for a dinosaur. Max quickly discovers he has to take his search outside and use a bit of imagination to find what he's looking for.

Guys this book is adorable. The text manages to capture a sense of childhood. For example, when Max decides to take his search outside, he has to decide what to bring. And he tries to drag more than he could possibly carry.
This reminded me of when I was little and going on a trip to my grandparents' house. Packing the car with all my toys took many trips and my dad eventually had to inform me I had to show more choose among my toys so he'd be able to see outside the car's rear window.

The illustrations are excellent, including a lot of humor and energy to share Max's story. They manage to portray Max both as childlike AND doglike. Which is impressive. But, even better, they show Max's sense of imagination. At one point, Max holds up a small tree branch and claims that it is a dinosaur bone. This is a wonderful way to draw new readers in to use their imagination.

Dinner Conversation:

"My name is Max.
I am not a dog.
I am a great hunter."

"I have an idea.
I will go outside.
What can I take?"

"So I hunt
and I hunt
and I hunt
and I hunt.
I don't give up."

To Go with the Meal:

This would be a wonderful story to discuss the five senses with students since Max uses all of his senses to try and find dinosaurs.

Since Max labels body parts (such as knee, eyes, lips, etc.) as he goes on his dinosaur a teacher could have students point to and name their own body parts as they read.

After reading the book, a teacher could have students have their own scavenger dinosaur hunt around the classroom or playground, encouraging students to imagine the everyday objects are part of the dinosaur.

Tasty Rating: !!!! show less

~ borrowed from the Library

MAX SPANIEL: DINOSAUR HUNT is a very funny and fun book at the Kindergarten reading level (end of Kindergarten).

What's amazing about DINOSAUR HUNT is that with just 160 words it manages to tell a great story. And you'll know that from the first page when Max declares: "My name is Max. I am not a dog."

Well, of course Max is a dog. But he's also a great hunter and in this case he's hunting dinosaurs! The story is about his search and his imagination, because Max sees dinosaur bones in every day things. A hockey stick is a jaw bone, for example.

The artwork in this book is colorful and runs from page edge to page edge. Max and the other animals are expressive and appealing. Honestly I'm going back to the show more library right away to check out more books by this author.

Because Max says that he is going to hunt with his ears, eyes, and nose you can tuck in a lesson about the Senses when sharing this book with younger readers. And because Max initially decides to take way too many items with him as he sets off, then changes his mind, you can use this book to try to get your child to not take everything and the kitchen sink with him/her when the two of you set off on an adventure.

This is just a kid-friendly, boy-pleasing practice reader.

**Teachers should note that there is an Accelerated Reader test available for this book. show less

The illustrations in this book by David Catrow are fun and eye catching! The story line has light humor and a sense of imagination that is fun for young readers.

A great early reader! Who wouldn't love [a:David Catrow's|84062|David Catrow|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-e07624dc012f2cce49c7d9aa6500c6c0.jpg] goofy pictures and his quirky story about the spaniel. It's good for beginners, only a few words per page, but it holds a high interest level, and even I loved poring over the funny illustrations, so more advanced readers probably won't mind this one either. We're so happy there are more books in the series, we'll definitely be checking them all out.

When reading this book aloud in the bookstore my 3.5 yearold and I were laughing so hard my hubby could hear us across the store. It's delightful illustrations will capture your heart. Keep an eye out for the cat, Catrow really knows animal behavior. This book is in my top 10 books I read in 2012.
Catrow, D. (2009). Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt. New York: Orchard Books

Good story for young readers just getting started. The dog is trying to figure out what tools he needs on his dinosaur hunt and what exactly is a dinosaur fossil. This would be great for K-1 graders. This is a good start with observation and what tools a scientist may need to do good research.